Uttarakhand: Century-Old Rashtriya Indian Military College To Open Gates For Girls

The Rashtriya Indian Military College in Dehradun, Uttarakhand will soon open its gates for girl students for the first time in its 100-year history. As per reports, admissions for girls will begin in the new session for 2022 starting July. RIMC made the historic announcement over the weekend while marking its centenary.

A total of five female students will be the first entrants following the decision, RIMC commandant Col Ajay Kumar said, as reported by PTI. Significantly, RIMC is India's oldest military training institute and admits students as young as class eight.

RIMC's move towards admitting girls follows in the steps of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Col Kumar said. Tri-service academy NDA that preps young cadets for the Indian Armed Forces recently opened its doors to girls after the Supreme Court passed an order allowing them to sit for the entrance exam last year. More on that here.

Suggested Reading: MP Woman Molested In Full Public View: Have We Become Desensitised To Gender Violence?

Lt Gen Gurmit Singh, the Governor of Uttarakhand, also spoke on the occasion and said he was "hopeful that it will lead to a big change. RIMC has done preparations on all levels. Women will create history in the Armed Forces leadership," as quoted by Times of India. 

It turns out, however, that the five girls who will walk into RIMC will not be the first to do so. At the event, Col Kumar said one Swarnima Thapliyal was admitted into the college as a "test case" exactly 20 years ago in 1992. He said she served in the Indian Army and retired as a Major.

A 2015 report by Daily Pioneer mentioned Thapliyal as the older sister of Saurabh Thapliyal who received the Sword of Honour at his passing out ceremony. Their father was identified as RIMC Vice Principal, DN Thapliyal.

Suggested Reading: Love And Romance Are Two Separate Things: Women Often Learn That When It Is Too Late

For this history-making entrance into RIMC, 568 girls reportedly sat for the test, out of which five were chosen.

In October last year, the Supreme Court directed the centre to ensure that girls could take entrance exams for RIMC. Following the court's suggestion, the defence ministry proposed the admission of girls at RIMC as well as the Rashtriya Military Schools (RMS). The ministry said that in the first phase, five girls would be inducted for a period of six months and then in the second phase, ten girls would be inducted into the courses every six months.

The goal target would be 250 boys and 100 girls.