Sainik School, Balachadi
# Sainik School, Balachadi

The Sainik School, Balachadi, in Jamnagar, Gujarat, is one of the leading Sainik Schools in the chain of Sainik Schools. It is one of the outstanding boarding schools for public education in Gujarat. It was established in July 1961 by the then Honorable Minister of Home Affairs, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri. It is an elite English medium, fully residential boarding school for boys and girls, providing premium public education, with a military bias, up to 10+2 stage, as per the Central Board of Secondary Education.

Sainik Schools were a dream conceived by V K Krishna Menon, the then Defense Minister of India. The schools are run by the Government of India and managed by the Sainik School Society under the Government of India. The chain of Sainik Schools in India was established with the prime focus of strengthening the Armed Forces, the All India Civil Services IAS and the IPS, besides other fields of public service.

## Location

The school is 32 km (20 mi) from Jamnagar, alongside a coastal area in the Balachadi Estate. The approximately 900-acre (360 ha) campus is flanked by the Gulf of Kutch, encompassed by a Bungalow of the then ruler of Nawanagar, Maharaja Jam Shaheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji, the Sachana Ship Breaking Yard and a natural coastal beach.

A campsite for the children of Polish refugees of World War II was built by K. S. Digvijaysinhji, Jam Saheb Maharaja of Nawanagar in 1942, near his summer resort. He gave refuge to hundreds of Polish children rescued from Polish and Soviet camps. The campsite is now a part of the Sainik School, Balachadi.

## Activities

Outdoor games:

* football
* basketball
* hockey
* volleyball
* cricket
* badminton
* tennis
* squash
* Athletic competitions (track and field)

Inter house competitions in all these events are organized.

Clubs:

* art club
* craft club
* story–telling club
* physics club
* chemistry club
* bio club
* bird watching club
* computer club
* trekking club.

Inter-school competitions participated in:

* debates
* declamation
* quiz competitions
* essay writing
* poetry
* short story writing
* drawing
* painting
* all sports and games.

The school sends a large number of cadets to attend camps (NCC and others) organized around the country.

The Literary Club English and Hindi organizes inter-house competitions in:

* declamation
* debate
* essay writing
* poetry
* recitation
* spelling

Other activities:

* science quiz
* general quiz
* weekly news analysis
* group discussions

Tours:

* Defense tours:
   * National Defence Academy
   * Indian Military Academy
   * Defense establishments in:
      * Mumbai
      * Cochin
      * Bangalore
      * Madras
      * and Hyderabad
* Educational tours to historical places:
   * Dwarika
   * Somnath
   * Mumbai
* Cycling expeditions
* Trekking expeditions

## School Routine

The day starts with morning parade under the guidance of physical training instructors from the Army Physical Training Corps/ NCC Instructors. This is followed by a bath, change of clothes and breakfast. Classes begin at 08.30 am and run up to 1.30 pm, with two short intervals, in the first of which, the cadets are given light refreshments, served centrally. After the classes, they go for lunch. The time between 1400 hrs. and 1700 hrs. is used for academically weak students to go for their remedial classes, while others do homework, engage in club activities, pursue hobbies, ready their kit, or do gardening. There are outdoor evening games from 1700 hrs. to 1800 hrs. Evening prep. gives the cadets sufficient time to do their homework and clear their doubts. Dinner is at 2030 hrs.

## National Cadet Corps

All the boys are enrolled into the National Cadet Corps and follow a combined syllabus of the three services (Army, Navy and Air Force). The school possesses a full-fledged NCC company.

## Admission

Selections comprise two parts: the written exam and the medical examination, with an interview. The candidates who qualify in the written examinations are called for medical examination and interview.

