Girls should be admitted in all Sainik Schools, demand members in LS

BJP member Tapir Gao on Friday suggested in Lok Sabha that girls be allowed admission in all Sainik Schools in the country as they are playing an important role in the Indian armed forces.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, he said that currently only few Sainik Schools admit girls.

He said as women are being inducted in the combat wings of the armed forces, it is necessary that girls are trained to join forces.

Several members cutting across party lines associated themselves with the suggestion of Gao.

Sainik Schools are premier educational institutions with the mission to prepare cadets to join the National Defence Academy and other officer training academies.

V Geetha Viswanatham (YSRCP) demanded that the government remove goods and services tax (GST) on life insurance and health insurance policies.

She said that 18 per cent GST is charged on insurance policies which should be removed to encourage people to buy insurance cover for life and health.

K Jayakuma (Congress) demanded that reservation for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes be increased as their population has gone up.

He lamented that government is "selling PSUs but has not done anything" to compensate SCs and STs for loss of employment opportunities to them.