Sainik School, Kazhakootam

Sainik School Kazhakootam, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala, India, is located 18 km away from Trivandrum city on the National Highway 47.

The concept of the Sainik school originated in the mind of late V K Krishna Menon, who was India's first Defence Minister (1957-1962). He felt that a school run on military lines, in each state of India, would provide the intake to the National Defence Academy. Moreover, the high levels of physical, mental and intellectual attainments needed for induction into the Officer Cadre could not be nurtured in the common schools, mainly because of the lack of infrastructure facilities.

Location

The Chief Minister of Kerala, Late Pattom Thanu Pillai, chose Kazhakootam to be the venue for Sainik School in the early sixties and an area of 300 acres (1.2 km²) of undulating terrain was acquired on a hillock, close to the National Highway. The school has 225 acres (0.91 km²) of land. The school is situated 18 km away from Trivandrum on the National Highway 47. The campus is nestled between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.

Inception

The school came into being on 20 Jan 1962, in barracks lent by the Army at Pangode, Trivandrum. At inception 120 students joined the school in Classes V, VI, VII and VIII. Six months later Class IX began with 12 students. The present strength is 629 cadets. The Founder Principal was Lt Col BK Somaiah. The Headmaster was Sqn Ldr Babu Lal and the Registrar was Capt TVS Nair.

The foundation stone was laid by the late VK Krishna Menon, Minister of Defence on 5 Feb 1962. Prof. JC Alexander of the Engineering College, Trivandrum, was the architect who gave shape to the Academic Block and 11 dormitories. The school shifted to Kazhakootam in 1964.

School emblem and flag

The light blue, dark blue and red stripes in the school crest are symbolic of the three main arms of the Defence Services and the integrated concept of training in the initial stages. yo

School motto

“Gyan Anushasan Sahayog” - Knowledge, Discipline and Co-operation.

Administration

The administration of Sainik schools is vested in an autonomous body known as Sainik Schools Society under Ministry of Defence, India. Sainik Schools Society is headed by the Board of Governors under the Chairmanship of RRM ( Raksha Rajya Mantri, Union Minister of Defence). The Chief Ministers/Education Ministers of the states where the Sainik schools are located, are members of the Board of Governors. There is a Local Board of Administration for each Sainik school with a senior defense service officer as its Chairman. The Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command, located at Trivandrum is the Chairman of the board for this Sainik school. The Principal, who is a military officer (of the rank of Colonel or its equivalent in Navy or the IAF) is the administrative and academic head of the institute. He is assisted by two other service officers viz. Headmaster and Registrar. The service officers are on deputation from the Ministry of Defense.

Infrastructure

The first-ever equestrian club of Kerala has been set up at the school. A riding ring with horses and trainers has been set up.

Admission

Admission is confined to Classes VI and IX, for boys only. The standard of the Entrance Examination would be equivalent to that of Standard V and VIII (CBSE) respectively

Age limits : Class VI: Boys who are not under ten years or over eleven years of age on first July of the year of admission. Class IX: Boys who are not under thirteen years or over fourteen years of age on first July of the year of admission and studying in Class VIII and IX

Written test

The test is held on the third Sunday of January.

Class VI: Mathematical Knowledge Test and Language Ability Test. Intelligence Test. The test can be taken in English or Hindi or Malayalam.

Class IX: Mathematics and Science. English and Social Studies.

The test can be taken in English or Hindi or Malayalam for class VI. However the Question papers for class IX will be in English only.

Interview and medical test

The boys who qualify in the written test appear before a Selection Board for an Interview and Medical Test.

Notable alumni

• Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair
• 2/Lt R Naresh - 10 Dec 1971( Posthumous)
• Maj G S Sateesh Chandran, SM( Posthumous)
• Capt. Radhakrishnan Nair Harshan
• Major P Harshan
• Rajeevnath
• Prithviraj Sukumaran
• Indrajith Sukumaran

References

• Official website
• Alumni website

Houses

1. Shivaji 2. Cariappa 3. Prasad 4. Nehru 5. Veluthampi 6. Rajaji 7. Ashoka 8. Tagore 9. Patel 10. Vallathol 11. VK Krishna Menon