Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)

Sainik School Sujanpur Tira lifts Raksha Mantri Trophy for second time in a row

THOSE WHO MADE THE CUT

- Gaurav Bisht

THE SAINIK SCHOOL WAS AWARDED THE RAKSHA MANTRI TROPHY FOR SENDING THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CADETS TO THE NATIONAL DEFENCE ACADEMY IN 2018-19

SHIMLA:SAINIK School, Sujanpur Tira, Himachal Pradesh, has lifted the Raksha Mantri Trophy for the second time in a row for sending the maximum number of cadets to the National Defence Academy (NDA) in 2018-2019.

As many as 14 cadets of the prestigiou­s school were selected for the NDA at Khadakwasl­a, Pune.

Union minister of state for defence, Shripad Naik handed over the Raksha Mantri Trophy to Group Captain AK Paul, principal, during a function held at Sainik School, Chittorgar­h.

A total of 31 Sainik Schools compete for the coveted trophy every year. is indeed a proud moment for the school and the state.”

“The credit goes to all the officers, teachers, non-teaching staff and students,” he added.

The school had lifted the trophy in 1994 and 1998 in the past.

The only institute of its kind in Himachal Pradesh, the school is located on the banks of Beas River at the western end of the sprawling Chaugan (term used in Himachal for plains) while the mighty Dhalaudhar mountains and Bardari hills form its unique backdrop.

In 1974, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had laid the foundation stone of the school which was inaugurate­d on November 2, 1978 with Wing commander HS Mehta as its founder principal.

Over the years, nearly 500 cadets from the school have joined the NDA; the Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai; the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun; Air Force Academy (AFA) Hyderabad, and the Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala in Kerala.

DISTINGUIS­HED ALUMNI

Among its prominent alumni is Major Sudhir Kumar Walia, who was awarded the Ashok Chakra, the highest peacetime Shashwat Nanda Anurag Kanav Parvarish Dev Nanta Naman Mehta Nikhilesh Rawat Aman Kumar Devanshu Anurag Yadav Ojaus Sanghel Pradyuman Sharma Mridul Manhas Akshit Sehgal Arindam Sood Tushar Thakur Govind Pathania military decoration, posthumous­ly for his bravery in a gunfight with militants in Kupwara in August 1999, while leading an assault in Haprudha forests.

Forty-two alumni have won awards for distinguis­hed services to date.

 ?? HT PHOTO ?? Union minister of state for defence Shripad Naik presenting the Raksha Mantri Trophy to school principal Group Captain AK Paul during a function in Chittorgar­h.
HT PHOTO Union minister of state for defence Shripad Naik presenting the Raksha Mantri Trophy to school principal Group Captain AK Paul during a function in Chittorgar­h.

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