Rashtriya Military School Chail (or Chail Military School) is a residential school in

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...

, India, established after the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in 1922 with a donation of 250,000 from

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

’s patriotic fund. The school's origins lie with the establishment of King George's Royal Indian Military School in Jullunder (later

Jalandhar Jalandhar is the third most-populous city in the Indian state of Punjab and the largest city in Doaba region. Jalandhar lies alongside the Grand Trunk Road and is a well-connected rail and road junction. Jalandhar is northwest of the state ...

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

, in 1925. The foundation stone of this school was laid in the Jullunder Cantonment by

in February 1922, and the school started functioning in 1925. The school was moved to its present location in Chail, Himachal Pradesh, in 1960. Cadets are known as ''Georgians'' after their founder's father. It is one of the only five RMS (Rashtriya Military Schools which were formerly called Royal Indian Military Schools) of its kind in India; the other four being

Ajmer Military School Rashtriya Military School – Ajmer (formerly King George’s Royal Indian Military School), established in 1930, is a boys’ educational institution located in Ajmer, Rajasthan, India. The school was established in 1930 and is one of only fiv ...

founded in 1930, Belgaum Military School in 1945, Bangalore Military School in 1946 and Dholpur Military School in 1962.

RIMC The Rashtriya Indian Military College (abbreviated RIMC; formerly known as Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College) is a military school for boys and girls situated in Doon Valley, Dehradun in India. The RIMC is a feeder institution for ...

(established in 1922), RIMs and various

Sainik School The Sainik Schools are a system of schools in India established and managed by the Sainik Schools Society under Ministry of Defence (MoD). They were conceived in 1961 by V. K. Krishna Menon, the then Defence Minister of India, to rectify the reg ...

s contribute 25% to 30% to various training academies of the Armed Forces. 1 RIMC and 5 RMS were established by the government after the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

to Indianise the British Colonial Military in India by providing western style education with the aim to prepare the potential pool of future military officers. The school is located amidst pine and deodar forests in the heart of the 110 km²

Chail Sanctuary Chail Sanctuary is located at Chail, a hill station which is home to sambar, goral and cheer pheasants at Blossom and Jhaja. Barking deer and kalijin are seen during dusk and dawn. The best time to visit is from March to October. It covers 110 ...

at an altitude of 2144 meters. The world's highest cricket ground is located in Chail and is used as a training and playground for cadets.

History

Chail Military School is the oldest military school in India. Similar schools were established at

Ajmer Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "' ...

in 1930, Belgaum in 1945,

Bangalore Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...

in 1946, and

Dholpur Dholpur is a city in the Dholpur district in Rajasthan state of India. It is situated on the left bank of the famous Chambal river. The city is the administrative headquarters of Dholpur District and was formerly seat of the Dholpur prin ...

in 1962. After renaming, these 5 military schools are now collectively known as the ''"Rashtriya Military Schools"'' (RMS) and the cadets from these institutions call themselves ''Georgians''.

British colonial origin

(1865-1936) was the king of Great Britain and the emperor of India from 1910 to 1936. Though during

he had no direct responsibility, his duties took him to 450 military and naval installations, 300 military hospitals, and to several other places for personally distributing as many as 58,000 decorations. It was during these visits that King George V was so impressed with the courage and fighting abilities of the Indian troops that at the conclusion of the war, he decided to set up some institutions for the education of children of Indian Jawans. Hence these schools were named ''"King George Royal Indian Military Colleges"'' (KGRIMC). Along with its sister KGRIMS institute now located in Jhelum,

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

, Chail Military School was named as King George Royal Indian Military School after King George V. After the

, in February 1922 the foundation stone of the school was laid at

Jalandhar Cantonment Jalandhar Cantonment is a cantonment town in Jalandhar District in the Indian state of Punjab. The Cantonment is located between latitude 30° 18' and longitude 75° 37' on the southwest and at a distance of 2 km from Cantonment Railway S ...

and regular classes were started in

in September 1925 at Jalandhar Cantonment and the second campus at KGRIMS Jhelum (now in Pakistan). In 1945 when

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

came to an end, two more King George Royal Indian Military Colleges were started at Belgaum and Bangalore by King George VI. The school was founded to provide free education to the sons of JCOs,

NCOs A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

and ORs to prepare them for Army examinations including the Indian Special Certificate of Education. The curriculum of the school was based on military requirements with English as a medium of instruction. The strength of the school was 250 and the staff consisted mostly of military personnel. In the beginning, the staff were entirely military personnel, with exception of office staff who were civilians. Initially, all instructors were officers, but they were gradually replaced by JCOs. During the Second World War the school was designated as a college. One hundred more cadets were admitted under the expansion scheme. The eligibility norms were relaxed to facilitate enrollment of near relatives of Army personnel and admissions were thrown open to all branches of the armed forces. At that time, Jalandhar and Jhelum military colleges were affiliated with the

Panjab University Panjab University (PU) is a collegiate public state university located in Chandigarh, Punjab. Funded through both State and Union governments, it is considered a state university. It traces its origins to the University of the Punjab in Laho ...

for matriculation and intermediate examinations. The institution produced a large number of officers. During World War II the cadets of these institutions were granted an emergency commission and subsequently, permission was granted for entry of the Cadets to the Armed Forces looking to the training they received at these institutions.

Reorganisation after independence of India

Till 1952 Regimental Centres sponsored the sons of JCOs/ORs for admission to KGRIMCs. The aim then was to give education up to Army Special Classes and then make them VCOs. Some of them were also commissioned as officers. On 26 January 1950, these KGIMS were renamed the ''"King George’s Military College"'' (KGMC). In July 1952, these were renamed the ''"King George’s School"'' (KGS). On the recommendations of a committee headed by educationist Dr. Hridaya Nath Kunzru, KGS was reorganized as residential public schools, and admissions were thrown open to the sons of Service Officers as well as Civilians. This brought the schools within the reach of the middle class for the first time. Instead of the Army Exams, the students switched over to the Senior Cambridge Certificate Examination, and the condition that all students should join the military services were dropped. The motto then was ''"Play The Game"''. On 1 July 1960, the King George’s School Nowgong, which was earlier moved from Jalandhar to Kitchner College in Nowgong, was relocated to its current location in Chail in

. In 1962, the fifth KGS school was started at

in Rajasthan. In 1963, the affiliation of KGS to the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...

was replaced by the Higher Secondary School Examination conducted by

Central board of secondary education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...

(CBSE) Delhi. On 1 January 1966, the KGS was renamed the ''"Military School"'' with the "xyz Military School" nomenclature, e.g. ''"Chail Military School"''. On reorganization, public school education was, for the first time, brought within the reach of the middle class. Admission was thrown open to sons of service officers and civilians as well. The motto of the schools was changed to ''"Sheelam Param Bhushanam"'' which translates to ''"Character is the Greatest Virtue"''. In January 1998, the nomenclature changed again when the location prefix "xyz" was dropped, and the KGS was re-designated ''"Military School, xyz"'', e.g. ''"Military School, Chail"''.

Present status

In 2007, to reflect the 'All India' outlook of the school the Chail Military School along with its sister institutes Bangalore Military School (

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

), Belgaum Military School (

(

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...

) and Dholpur Military School (

) were renamed as the ''"Rashtriya Military Schools (RMS)"'' of India. All RMS is Category 'A' military training institutes at par with

Rashtriya Indian Military College The Rashtriya Indian Military College (abbreviated RIMC; formerly known as Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College) is a military school for boys and girls situated in Doon Valley, Dehradun in India. The RIMC is a feeder institution for ...

and

National Defence Academy The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defence service training institute of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets of the three services i.e. the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force train together before they go on ...

. All RMS are under the direct control of the Army's Directorate General of Military Training (DGMT) at IHQ of Ministry of Defence (MoD), and the instructions pertaining to finance, training, admission and recruitment are received directly from Army Head Quarters (AHQ). In 2019, it was decided to merge the DGMT with

Army Training Command The Army Training Command, abbreviated as ARTRAC, is one of the seven commands of the Indian Army. It is currently based at Shimla. It was established in 1991. Lieutenant General SS Mahal is the current commander. History The Army Training Comm ...

(ARTRAC).In the works for Army Training Command — wings for training, validation & more officers

The Print The Print is an Indian online newspaper, owned by Printline Media Pvt Ltd. It was launched by journalist Shekhar Gupta in August 2017. History Printline Media Pvt. Ltd, founded by journalist Shekhar Gupta, was incorporated in New Delhi, India ...

, 24 August 2019. The Central Governing Council (CGC), headed by the Defence Secretary, is the apex body for the school. RMS prepare boys from the age of 10 to 18 years for the All India Secondary School Examination and All India Senior School Certificate Examination, New Delhi and also for the Entrance Examination to the

. Cadets of RMS institutions have risen to the rank of Generals, Air marshals, and Admirals, Secretaries to the government of India and to top positions in the police and Paramilitary forces. Many have established industries and reached international level recognition in their fields and also hold high positions in companies. Many cadets are Ministers and Members of Parliament, surgeons, and scientists.

Admissions

Admission to class VI

* Students are not admitted directly to the school. Students aged between 10-11 appear in CET for all military schools, followed by interviews and medical examinations to join the school according to the merit list (the success rate is approximately 1% of the total applicant). For further details see Director-General of Military training (MT15) websit

* Admission to class IX is through a Common Entrance Test, which is conducted by the Rashtriya Military School Chail. * Admission to class XI is based on marks secured in the X class.

Reservations

* 70% of seats are reserved for the wards of JCOs, OR in Army, Navy, and Air Force including ex-servicemen. 30% of the seats are reserved for the wards of officers and for the wards of civilians. * 15% and 7.5% of the seats in each of these categories are reserved for SC and ST candidates. * 10 seats in each Rashtriya Military School are reserved for wards of personnel killed in action.

Life at campus

Academics

The school is affiliated with the CBSE board of India. Unit tests are held quarterly in addition to half-yearly and annual examinations. Students appear for AISSCE (10th) and AISSE (12th) along with other CBSE affiliated schools in India. Student to staff ratio is about 2.5:1 and student to teaching staff ratio is 10:1. Students are offered Science subjects in 11th and 12th classes. The School curriculum includes seven periods of 40 minutes each. Daily three hours of compulsory prep is included in a routine for students to concentrate on their studies. Students undergo exams as per the CBSE guidelines.

Subdivisions/Houses

* Taxila House (Sidh and Oak Cottage): Cadets from this house are known as Tigers. * Nalanda House (New Dorms and Annex) Cadets from this house are known as Fireballs. * Ujjain House (Glen View) Cadets from this house are known as Dynamites.

CCA

CCA is a part of the school curriculum. Cadets participate in debates, declamations, quizzes, extempore, dance, theatre, and poetry recitation in English and Hindi. They also participate in inter-house and inter-school arts competitions. The school team is a participant in national and state-level CCA meets.

Chail Gurudwara {{Use Indian English, date=February 2017 The Chail Gurudwara is a Sikh temple which was established at Chail in 1907. It was constructed by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. After partition of Punjab, the building was taken over by the govern ...

and Sidh temple are also actively administered by the school.

Sports and physical education

Cadets undergo compulsory physical training in the morning and play sports in the evening. The school has facilities for cricket, basketball, volleyball, athletics, cross-country, and boxing. The school is a member of the Indian Public Schools' Conference (IPSC) and participates in the state as well as national level sports competitions. The Inter Military Schools Pentagular meet is an annual sports and CCA event where all five military schools (and previously Rashtriya Indian Military College Dehradun) compete in several fields.

Commandants and principals

Alumni

Chail Military School in Siachen

Cadets from the school have reached the world's highest battlefield '

Siachen Glacier The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas at about , just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends. At long, it is the longest glacier in the Kar ...

'. The team consisted of four cadets each from the

(RIMC) and the Chail Military School, two cadets from the

Indian Military Academy The Indian Military Academy (IMA) is one of the oldest military academies in India, and trains officers for the Indian Army. Located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, it was established in 1932 following a recommendation by a military committee set up ...

, six cadets - including four girls - from the

National Cadet Corps National Cadet Corps may refer to: *Bangladesh National Cadet Corps * National Cadet Corps (Ghana) *National Cadet Corps (India) * National Cadet Corps (Pakistan) *National Cadet Corps (Singapore) *National Cadet Corps (Sri Lanka) The Nation ...

, four civilians, including the wife of an army officer, four officers, 15 personnel below officer rank and seven media persons.

Notable alumni

The school has produced several Generals (Lt Gen and Maj Gen), Brigadiers, and thousands of Colonels and Lt Colonels along with Governors, Ministers, Civil servants and paramilitary officers( CAPFs). Many Students have joined elite government services like

Indian Foreign Service The Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is the diplomatic service and a central civil service of the Government of India under the Ministry of External Affairs. The Foreign Secretary is the head of the service. Vinay Mohan Kwatra is the 34th and the ...

and

Indian Administrative Service The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the Indian ...

. * Captain

Gurbachan Singh Salaria Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, PVC (29 November 1935 – 5 December 1961) was an Indian Army officer and member of a United Nations peacekeeping force. Salaria was an alumnus of King George's Royal Indian Military College and the National ...

, awarded the

Param Vir Chakra The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest military decoration, awarded for displaying distinguished acts of valour during wartime. Param Vir Chakra translates as the "Wheel of the Ultimate Brave", and the award is granted for "most conspicu ...

, India's highest wartime military award. First Param Vir Chakra won by an NDA alumni. * Maj Gen Siri Kanth Korla, PVSM, DSO, MC * Lt Gen Noble Thamburaj Sena Medal Vice Chief of Army Staff * Lt Gen R S Dyal Lt Governor Chandigarh and Maha Vir Chakra * Lt Gen J S Gharaya Maha Vir Chakra * Maj Gen Shamsher Singh (military officer) Maha Vir Chakra * Brig

Rai Singh (military officer) Kanwar Rai Singh (24 February 1922 – 12 November 1993) was an Indian cricketer who played in one Test match in 1948. A right-handed batsman, Rai Singh was a surprise selection for the Indian tour of Australia in 1947–48. During his career, ...

Maha Vir Chakra File:Thamburaj.jpg, alt=Lt. Gen. N Thamburaj Sena Medal VCAOS (India), Lt. Gen. N Thamburaj Sena Medal VCOAS (India) File:ASPooni.jpg,

Amrik Singh Amrik Singh (1948 – June 6, 1984) was the President of the All India Sikh Students Federation. He was killed in the Indian Army's operation on the Golden Temple on June 6, 1984. Amrik Singh was the son of Giani Kartar Singh Bhindranwale, the ...

Pooni IAS Chief Secy Punjab File:HarparminderChadha.jpg, Dr. Harparminder Chadha, MD, FACEP, FRCS, Hind Rattan Award

Georgian Association North

All students and their family members are the part of the extended Georgian family. President of the Georgian Association (North) is Sh Vipin Pubby who was elected on 13 April 2018 at Chandigarh. The Official address of the Georgian Asscn North is : First Floor, House No. 1538, Sector :33-D, Chandigarh- 160020 (UT)Manipal elected president of Georgians’ Association
The Indian Express, 14 April 2013

References

External links

Georgians Association

Shri D.D. Kapoor: Oldest teacher amongst Georgians by AMARJEET MALIK- from Military School, oldest teacher Shri D.D.Kapoor, House Master of Wavell Company at Jullunder, Indian Defence forces and Civil Service Cadres, Shri D.D.Kapoor, c/o Capt. R.L.Kapoor, 101, Rajpur Road, Dehradun, Shivaji at Nowgong, Taxila and Ujjain at Chail and Prithviraj at Ajmer - Photo Feature - General, AMARJEET MALIK- from General Military School writes an article on Photo Feature, Shri D.D. Kapoor: Oldest teacher amongst Georgians

Official website
{{Indian Air Force Military schools in India High schools and secondary schools in Himachal Pradesh Boarding schools in Himachal Pradesh Educational institutions established in 1922 Education in Shimla Schools in Shimla district 1922 establishments in British India