Sainik School, Kazhakootam
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Sainik School Kazhakootam,
Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
,
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, is a residential school under the
Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
,
Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
, located approximately 18 km away from
Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
city beside
Kazhakoottam Kazhakkoottam is a major urban area in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala state, India. The largest IT park in the country in terms of developed area, Technopark, along with Technocity-an upcoming integrated IT township-is situated ...
-
Venjarammoodu Venjaramoodu is a north-east suburb of Thiruvananthapuram city, the capital of Kerala. It is east of Attingal, northwest of Nedumangad and northeast of Thiruvananthapuram City. Geography Venjaramoodu is a town in the district of Thiruvanant ...
bypass and 1 km away from
National Highway 66 The following highways are numbered 66: International * European route E66 Australia * Barkly Highway (Northern Territory) * Riddoch Highway Canada * Alberta Highway 66 * Highway 66 (Ontario) Cuba * Autopista Sancti Spiritus (4-6 ...
. The concept of Sainik Schools was proposed by
V. K. Krishna Menon Vengalil Krishnan Krishna Menon (3 May 1896 – 6 October 1974) was an Indian academic, independence activist, politician, lawyer, and statesman. During his time, Menon contributed to the Indian independence movement and India's foreign r ...
, who was India's first Defence Minister from 1957 to 1962. The objective was to set up schools run on military lines in each state of India, which would facilitate the grooming of boys for intake into the
National Defence Academy The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defence service training institute of the Indian Armed Forces. Here, cadets of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force train together before they go on to their respective service a ...
, thus, rectifying the regional and class imbalance in the officer cadre of the Indian Military.


Location

Kazhakootam Kazhakkoottam is a major urban area in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala state, India. The largest IT park in the country in terms of developed area, Technopark, along with Technocity-an upcoming integrated IT township-is situated ...
was chosen as the location for Sainik School in the early 1960s by the then
Chief Minister of Kerala The chief minister of Kerala is the chief executive of the Indian state of Kerala. '' De facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Following elections to the Kerala Legislative Assembly, the state's governor usually invites th ...
, Pattom Thanu Pillai. An area of of undulating terrain was acquired on a hillock near Kazhakootam, close to National Highway 66 and about 18 km away from
Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
. The campus is located on a laterite cliff of 170 feet elevation between the Western Ghats and the
Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...
. A part of the land that was previously part of the campus (around 75 acres) was handed over to
KINFRA Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA) is a government agency under the government of the Indian state of Kerala headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram. It undertakes development of industrial estates to nurture industrial ...
in early 2000's on lease. The present land area of Sainik School campus is about .


Inception

Sainik School Kazhakootam started functioning in the barracks lent by the
Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...
at the army camp at
Pangode Pangode is an Indian village and a Grama Panchayat (Indian village council) located in the Thiruvananthapuram district in the state of Kerala.Census Village code = 00130400 The village is known for its participation in the Indian Independence ...
,
Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
, on 20 January 1962. The initial intake was to classes V, VI, VII, and, VIII, and the strength at inception was 120. This increased to 132 six months later when admission to class XI was opened. The founder principal, headmaster, and registrar were Lt. Col. B. K. Somaiah, Sqn. Ldr. Babu Lal, and Capt. T. V. S. Nair, respectively. The foundation stone of the new campus at Kazhakootam was laid by the then Defence Minister of India,
V. K. Krishna Menon Vengalil Krishnan Krishna Menon (3 May 1896 – 6 October 1974) was an Indian academic, independence activist, politician, lawyer, and statesman. During his time, Menon contributed to the Indian independence movement and India's foreign r ...
on 5 February 1962. Prof. J. C. Alexander, a professor at the
College of Engineering, Trivandrum The College of Engineering Trivandrum, commonly shortened to CET, is an engineering college in the Indian state of Kerala, situated in Thiruvananthapuram. Founded in 1939 by the Travancore monarch Chithira Thirunal, it is the state's oldest ...
, designed the academic block, the 11 dormitories, and other associated infrastructure. The school shifted to the new campus in 1964.


School crest, motto, and flag

The red, navy-blue, and sky-blue stripes in the school crest are symbolic of the three arms of the Indian Defence Services. Red represents Army, blue represents Navy and sky blue represents Air Force. The letter S, for Sainik School, stands above the three stripes, and a steel-grey band, with the word Kazhakootam inscribed in it, is present below the stripes. Below the main crest is a fluttering ribbon, carrying the School Motto: ''Gyaan, Anushasan, Sahyog'', signifying three of the most valuable qualities expected of a Sainik School Cadet, namely knowledge, discipline, and
esprit-de-corps Morale ( , ) is the capacity of a group's members to maintain belief in an institution or goal, particularly in the face of opposition or hardship. Morale is often referenced by authority figures as a generic value judgment of the willpower ...
The flag, again, has horizontal stripes of the three
School Colours School colors, also known as university colors or college colors, are the colors chosen by a school, academy, college, university or institute as part of its brand identity, used on building signage, web pages, branded apparel, and the uniforms ...
, with the school crest at the centre.


School songs and prayer

The
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
,
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
, and
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
school songs and the
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
prayer are sung in morning assemblies and on special occasions and functions. The English school song was composed by Mrs Myrtle Jacob, a founding member of the English department of the school. Sam'gacchadhvam', the school Sanskrit prayer, is a verse taken from the
Rigveda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...
.


Administration

Sainik School, Kazhakootam, like the other Sainik Schools, is governed by Sainik Schools Society, which is an autonomous body under the
Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
, Government of India.
Sainik School, Lucknow Sainik School, Lucknow was established in July 1960. The only one of the sainik schools to be administered by the state government, the alumni of which, Captain Manoj Pandey, posthumously received Param Vir Chakra. It was the first Sainik Schoo ...
, which is governed by the UP state government, is an exception. The society is headed by the board of governors, with the Union Defence Minister at the helm. The chief Ministers or Education Ministers are part of the councils of Sainik Schools in their respective states. Further, a senior defence officer chairs a local board of administration. The Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command, is in charge of Sainik School, Kazhakootam. The principal, who is the academic and administrative head of the institute, is appointed on deputation and will be of the rank of ⠀⠀colonel⠀⠀ or its equivalent from the ⠀⠀Indian Navy⠀⠀and the
Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...
. Vice Principal ''(formerly Headmaster)'' and Administrative Officer ''(formerly Registrar)'', who are again military officers of or equivalent to the ranks of Lt. Col. or
Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
, look after the academic and administrative affairs, respectively. The academic activities are coordinated by a ''Senior Master'' who reports to the Vice Principal. The non-academic activities, such as estates, are managed by the ''Quarter Master'', cadet's Mess by ''the Mess Manager, and the'' Medical Infirmary Room (MI Room) by a Medical Officer. In the absence of an Administrative Officer or Registrar, the role is handled by the Medical Officer. Among
cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...
s, there are various ranks such as,


Infrastructure and facilities

Sainik School Kazhakootam is an architectural marvel. The school is well planned, designed and maintained. The symmetry of construction of various buildings in the complex is exemplary. In academic perspective the school has around 21 class rooms, well equipped state of art laboratories for Physics, Biology and Chemistry departments in school. There is also a computer center and science park. To encourage the artistic skills of students there is also a dedicated arts and craft facility in the school. There is a good library situated within academic block with a good collection of books, magazines and journals. In extra curricular perspective there are unparalleled facilities in school. 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. There is excellent sports facilities like swimming pool, clay surfaced tennis court, concreted basketball court, volleyball courts, two football grounds in
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
dimensions, two hockey courts, gymnastics, gymnasium, numerous football grounds etc. that are available. The
National Cadet Corps (India) The National Cadet Corps (NCC) is the youth wing of the Indian Armed Forces with its headquarters in New Delhi, India. It is open to school and college students on voluntary basis as a Tri-Services Organisation, comprising the Indian Army, Army, ...
has an independent Company under Kerala - Lakshadweep region for Sainik School Kazhakootam, called SS COY NCC. The school sends numerous cadets to
Republic Day Parade The Delhi Republic Day parade is the largest and most important of the parades marking the Republic Day celebrations in India. The parade takes place every year on 26 January at Kartavya Path, New Delhi. It is the main attraction of India's R ...
held at Delhi every year. In terms of auxiliary facilities, there is a state of art Cadet's Mess that can dine more than 700 at a time is situated within the campus. There is in house bakery to bake bread within the mess. The school has numerous green initiatives. One such is the pig farming situated within the campus that uses
food waste The causes of food going uneaten are numerous and occur throughout the food system, during food production, production, food processing, processing, Food distribution, distribution, Grocery store, retail and food service sales, and Social clas ...
from Cadets Mess as fodder. There are also in-house Laundry facility in the form of Dhobi Ghat, Cobbler facility, Post Office, Barber Shop, stationery, CSD Canteen facility etc. within the campus to serve the needs of students. In the fallow land around school cash crops such as cashew is extensively cultivated. There is a direct water supply pipeline to school from Aruvikkara river by Kerala Water Authority. There are also dedicated transformer facilities by
KSEB Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is an Indian public sector undertaking under the Government of Kerala that generates, transmits and distributes electricity in the state. Established in 1957, the agency comes under the authority of the Po ...
within campus for continuous power supply. The school has a vast potential to harness
Renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natural resources that are replenished on a human lifetime, human timescale. The most widely used renewable energy types are solar energy, wind pow ...
such as solar and wind power. There is also a
rainwater harvesting Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the collection and storage of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater is collected from a roof-like surface and redirected to a Rainwater tank, tank, cistern, deep pit (well, shaft, or borehole), Aquifer s ...
facility in the academic block.


Houses

The school has a residential system of schooling. Only few students who are children of working staff of school enjoy day scholar facility. Others have to compulsorily opt for residential schooling. The residential system in the school is largely a dormitory based (14 students who are in their final year and are house captains and school captains enjoy single room facility). These dormitories are called as ''houses.'' There are a total of 12 houses and the Houses are categorised into three, ''viz.,'' Senior houses, Junior houses, and Sub-junior houses including girls dormitory. Every house has an identical and symmetric structure. These dormitory systems have two large halls called wings. Each wing has around 30 beds. Hence approximate strength in a dormitory is around 60 students. In addition to this each dormitories have a common shared washroom facility having around 8 bathrooms and 8 toilets. Every dormitory has a first floor in which one faculty member resides. This faculty member is called as ''House Master.'' The dormitories also have two big study halls and an office room.


Admission

Presently, boys are admitted to class VI and IX only. All India Sainik Schools Entrance Exam (AISSEE), which are generally held on the first or second Sunday of January, are followed by personal interviews for the shortlisted candidates. Boys who are not under 10 or over 11 years of age on 1 July of the year of admission are eligible for class VI admission. The respective age limits for class IX are 13 and 14.


Written test

For class VI admission, there will be two papers, ''viz.,'' (i) Mathematical Knowledge Test & Language Ability Test and (ii) Intelligence Test, and the syllabus will be in line with that of class V CBSE syllabus. The test can be taken in English, Hindi, or Malayalam. For class IX admission the papers for written test are (i) Mathematics & Science and (ii) English and Social Studies, equivalent to class VIII CBSE syllabus. The class IX tests can be taken in only in English. Aspirants can appear for the tests at any of the five locations across
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
(namely Sainik School Kazhakootam,
Kottayam Kottayam () is a city in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is the district headquarters of the district and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, Kottayam has a population of ...
,
Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the central business district of the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is the namesake of Ernakulam district. The eastern part of Kochi city is mainly known as Ernakulam, while the western part of it after the Venduruthy Bridge ...
,
Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...
, and
Palakkad Palakkad (), Renaming of cities in India, also known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery, is a city and a municipality in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of P ...
),
Kavaratti Kavaratti (, ) is the capital of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India. Kavaratti is a census town as well as the name of the atoll upon which the town stands. It is well known for its pristine white sand beaches and calm lagoons, which m ...
, and in all other Sainik Schools in India.


Medical test

The written tests will be followed by a medical test, which is the last stage of the admission procedure.


Faculty

The school has more than 30 teachers highly qualified from disciplines such as Sciences, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Computers, Languages, Arts and Crafts. The former senior master of school Shri. K Rajendran from English Department is a recipient of National Award to Teachers (2009) from Hon.
President of India The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...
Smt.
Pratibha Patil Pratibha Devisingh Patil (born 19 December 1934), also known as Pratibha Patil Shekhawat, is an Indian politician and lawyer who served as the president of India from 2007 to 2012. She was the first woman to become the president of India. A m ...
on 5 September 2010. Another esteemed teacher from the school, Shri Mathew K. Thomas, was honored with the same award in 2021. Mr K Sudhir (Roll No.1014/ Batch 1980) who was a faculty member during early 90's was the only alumni of the school who turned faculty later.


Popular culture

The school was featured in multiple
Malayalam cinema Malayalam cinema, also referred to as Mollywood, is a segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to producing films in the Malayalam, Malayalam language, primarily spoken in Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands. It encompasses both th ...
as location. The movies such as F. I. R. (1999) and The Truth (1998) directed by
Shaji Kailas Shaji Kailas (born 8 February 1965) is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Malayalam cinema. Shaji got a breakthrough with the comedy film '' Dr. Pasupathy'' (1990). He is best known for his action films with main ...
had few sequences shot inside the campus. There was a documentary based on the school that was made by Malayalam Film director Jubith Namradath (an alumnus of the school and director of Aabhaasam) called ''Marching Ahead (2014).'' The coordinator of drama club in school and senior faculty member of Malayalam department Smt. Sandhya R. had made a short film on water conservation that was entirely shot in the campus called ''Neerthulliye Kaanathaya Divasam(2017)'' many students and faculty had acted in the film. The 20 minute short film won Bharathan Memorial Award 2017.


Notable alumni


See also

*
Sainik School The Sainik Schools () are a system of Military high 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 Indi ...
*
National Defence Academy The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defence service training institute of the Indian Armed Forces. Here, cadets of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force train together before they go on to their respective service a ...


References


External links


Official website

Alumni website
{{Education in Kerala Sainik schools Boarding schools in Kerala Boys' schools in India Schools in Thiruvananthapuram district Educational institutions established in 1962 1962 establishments in Kerala History of Kerala (1947–present)