Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun

Inaugurated in 1922 in the heyday of the British empire, Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun is a feeder institution to the elite National Defence Academy, NAVAC and other officer training academies of the 1 million strong Indian Army

Contrary to its nomenclature, the Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) is a CBSE-affiliated boarding school offering excellent class VIII-Plus Two education. Administered by the Indian Army, RIMC is a feeder institution to the elite National Defence Academy (NDA), Naval Academy (NAVAC) and other officer cadre training academies of the 1 million strong Indian Army. Nestling in the foothills of the Shivalik ranges in the picturesque Doon Valley of Dehradun, this boys only residential school has the unique distinction of producing over 300 officers of the rank of brigadier and above, and their equivalent in the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF).

The schools roll of honour boasts four chiefs of army staff K.S. Thimayya, G.G. Bewoor, V.N. Sharma, and S. Padmanabhan; one IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal N.C. Suri and three chiefs of the Pakistan defence forces Air Marshals Asghar Khan and Noor Khan, and Gen. Gul Hasan Khan. This stellar cast apart, alumni include top civil servants, ambassadors, and captains of Indian industry.

Inaugurated in 1922 in the heyday of the British empire by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) and modelled on the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, UK, RIMC is a member of the Indian Public Schools Conference. Sprawling across a 138 acre verdant campus, the college has an aggregate enrollment of 250 male students instructed by 20 highly-qualified teachers selected by the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC), Delhi. An aesthetic mix of Victorian architecture, contemporary buildings and playing fields, which blend seamlessly into its woodland setting, RIMC has been declared a heritage site by INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage).

“The prime objective of RIMC is to prepare cadets (students) for careers in the defence forces. To this end we provide them holistic education focused on developing their intellect, character and leadership abilities. Although over 90 percent of our graduates sign up with the army, navy and air force, there is no compulsion to do so and cadets are free to choose any career after graduation. Our rigorous academic curriculum equips students to pursue further study and professional training in any academic discipline,” says Col. Prem Prakash, an alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy, Pune and commandant, who is the academic as well as administrative head of the school.

RIMC restricts admissions to 50 students annually, inducted in two batches of 25 each in January and July. Admission is merit-based following an all-India entrance exam held twice a year (June and December), personal interview and medical examination. Army headquarters conducts class X and XII board exams based on the CBSE curriculum twice a year, and the college’s school-leaving certificate is recognised by the Association of Indian Universities.

By reputation and common consensus, on the parameters of academic excellence, infrastructure, quality of faculty, sports facilities and adventure activities, RIMC is on a par with India’s very best private sector schools. The college’s teacher-pupil ratio is an enviable 1:12 and classrooms are equipped with hi-tech computer facilities. In addition to state-of-the-art math and science labs, a well-stocked library of 18,000 books and several periodicals serves the school.

Inevitably given its armed forces orientation, the distinguishing characteristic of RIMC is its emphasis on hands-on learning and extra-curricular education. “Teaching-learning in the classroom is project and activity-based and students are compulsorily required to participate in a wide range of sports and adventure activities such as horse riding, boxing and shooting. We believe that extra-curricular education is not only important to build physical strength and stamina, but also helps develop leadership and teamwork qualities which are a prerequisite for a career in the defence forces,” says Col. Prakash, an RIMC alumnus himself.

Therefore the top brass of the Indian Army has ungrudgingly equipped the college with state-of-the-art infrastructure. Campus facilities include an olympic size swimming pool, outdoor and indoor shooting ranges, horse riding, boxing ring, courts for squash, basketball and volley ball, and separate fields for cricket, football and hockey. Personalised coaching is provided for all major games and sports. On the co-curricular education front, RIMC offers a wide menu including art and crafts, journalism, music, gardening, aero-modeling, life skills training, community service and nature conservation.

Given its larger national objective of inspiring and preparing young people to pursue a career in the defence services, tuition and boarding at RIMC is heavily subsidised with students having to pay an annual fee of a mere Rs.22,300. Moreover several state governments and RIMC alumni offer generous student scholarships.

While within the fast-expanding Indian economy a slew of new vocation and career options has slowed down youth interest in the armed forces, there has been no let-up in admission seekers to RIMC. “For the 25 seats we offer half-yearly, we receive over 25,000 student applications. Given this pressure for admission we intend to increase our annual intake from the current 250 to 350 next year. We want RIMC to be accessible to as many children as possible,” says Col. Prakash.

Against the backdrop of declining standards of education particularly in government run institutions RIMC which is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year, has lived up to its institutional goal of a “proud past, persevering present and promising future”. Today it is a beacon and model to all secondary schools aspiring to institutional excellence.

Autar Nehru (Dehradun)