Applications have been invited for admissions to Classes 6 and 9 in 33 government Sainik Schools and 19 New Sainik Schools approved by the Defence Ministry for the academic year 2024-25. Female students also can apply. The last date to apply is December 16.

The Sainik School under the Kerala Government is located at Kazhakoottam in Thiruvananthapuram. Address: Sainik School, Kazhakoottam, Thiruvananthapuram – 695 585. Phone: 0471-2781405. Email: sainikschooltvm@gmail.com. Website: www.sainikschooltvm.nic.in

In addition, Vedavyasa Vidyalaya at Malaparambu in Kozhikode is a New Sainik School which functions with approval from the Defence Ministry. The New Sainik Schools located in various parts of the country are managed by state governments or private organisations under the supervision of the Defence Ministry.

Exam details
The entrance exam for admissions to all Sainik Schools (AISSEE 2024) is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The age of the students applying for Class 6 should be 10-12 years as on March 31, 2024 and for Class 9, 13-15 years.

Online applications could be submitted till 5 pm on December 16. A candidate should submit only one application form for government schools and the newly-approved schools. The fee is Rs 650, which could be paid till 11:50 pm on December 16. The fee for Scheduled category students is 500. Bank charges are extra.

The fee is the same for government as well as government-approved institutions. Details regarding the application procedure are given on pages 25-29 of the information bulletin. Read these instructions carefully before submitting the application. The websites are, www.nta.ac.in and https://exams.nta.ac.in/AISSEE. Helpdesk: 011 4075 9000. Email: aissee@nta.ac.in

AISSEE-2024 is a multiple-choice exam and it will take place on January 21, 2024 (Sunday) at 186 centres in India. The centres in Kerala are Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Palakkad and Kozhikode. Admit card will be available from the website three weeks before the exam. A list of items which cannot be taken to the exam hall are given in the bulletin (page 3, paragraph 14).

There is no negative mark for wrong answers. Candidates have to score a minimum of 25-percent marks in each subject and 40-percent aggregate to qualify. There is no cut-off for Scheduled category students. Selection will take place based on the score in the entrance exam and an e-counselling.

While the exam for Class 6 is scheduled from 2-4:30 pm, that for Class 9 is from 2-5 pm. Complete details on subjects for the exam, syllabus, division of marks etc are given on the website.

The medium of the exam for Class 6 could be chosen from among 13 languages, including English, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi. However, Class 9 exam is offered in English only.

Breakup of marks in entrance test (number of questions – marks)
Class 6: Language: 25 – 50; Maths: 50 – 150; Intelligence: 25 – 50; General knowledge: 25 – 50. Total: 125 – 300.
Class 9: Mathematics: 50 – 200; Intelligence: 25 – 50; English: 25 – 50; General science: 25 – 50; Social Science: 25 – 50. Total: 150 – 400.

Seat allocation
Of the total seats in each school, 67-percent are reserved for students belonging to the same state and 33-percent for those from other regions of the country. Reservation for Scheduled Castes is 15 percent, Scheduled Tribe 7.5 percent and Backward Communities 27 percent. Ten-percent of the seats in each class or 10 seats, whichever is higher, is reserved for female students.

At Kazhakoottam Sainik School, there are 64 seats for boys and 10 for girls in Class 6. Of these 74 seats, 49 are for students hailing from Kerala – 44 males and five females. In Class 9, the strength at Kazhakoottam is 35 (all male). Kerala’s quota is 23. At Veda Vyasa Vidyalaya, admission will take place only in Class 6. There are 80 seats.

Prospects
Students joining Sainik schools will follow CBSE curriculum till Class 12. They also have to engage in extra-curricular activities which are aimed at strengthening their physical and mental abilities. The training at Sainik school will help students to join defence institutions such as National Defence Academy, near Pune and Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala in Kerala.