Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, announced that all Sainik Schools in the country will now be open for girls also. He made this announcement during his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Delhi.

During his Independence Day speech, the prime minister said that two-and-a-half years ago, the maiden experiment of admitting girls in Sainik schools was carried out in Mizoram.

“Now, the government has decided that all the Sainik schools in the country will also be open for the daughters of the country,” he said.

Sainik schools are run by the Sainik Schools Society which is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence.

The aim of establishing Sainik schools was to prepare the students from an early age for their entry into the Indian armed forces.

Currently, there are 33 Sainik schools operating in the country.

Before arriving at the Red Fort to deliver his speech, PM Modi visited Rajghat and paid his respects to the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

In his Independence Day speech, Modi spoke about COVID warriors, the Indian contingent that made the nation proud at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, spokes about sustainable developments goals and announced ‘Gatishakti‘, a 100 crore initiative to bring employment opportunities for the youth and to help in holistic infrastructure growth.

Along with modern infrastructure, India needs to adopt a holistic approach in infrastructure construction, the prime minister added.

“We will have to work together for manufacturing world-class products, using cutting-edge innovation and new-age technology,” he said.

The prime minister gave a call for ‘Sabka Prayas’ along with ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ for building a new India.

India has to march ahead with new pledges for the next 25 years, Modi said.

“We have to ensure we meet our goal of building Aatmanirbhar Bharat when we celebrate 100 years of India’s Independence,” PM Modi said.