Photos: UP Sainik School in Lucknow becomes first to welcome girl cadets

/ The UP Sainik School in Lucknow lost its all-boys institution tag on Friday when it admitted 15 girl cadets for the first time in 57 years. Principal Col Amit Chatterjee said the girl cadets, who have “a dream to join the country’s armed forces, formally attended the first lesson”. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo) / With beaming smiles and lit-up eyes, the girls did not miss the opportunity to climb on the two Vijayanta tanks kept as trophies at the entrance of the 57-year-old institution, the first army school to be opened in the country. Later, 27 other such schools were established across India. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo) / The girls have been admitted from class 9 as against the norm of admitting boys from class 7 as authorities felt that girls of this age will be mature enough to cope with the ‘sainik’ environment. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo) / A joint effort was made by the UP government and the school administration to reach this decision and facilitate defence training for girl students. Their admission makes UP Sainik School the first of 28 Sainik Schools and 5 military schools to allow enrolment of girl cadets from the 2018-19 academic session. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo) / There are nearly 450 cadets of which 15 are now girls and the remaining boys, school headmaster Lt Col Vijay Rana said. The newly admitted girl cadets described the admissions with extreme happiness and as a the realisation of a childhood dream. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo)