Sainik School Nagrota has brought laurels to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by securing the prestigious Raksha Mantri trophy-2025 for sending the highest percentage of cadets to the National Defence Academy (NDA) in the NDA 154 course.
The prestigious trophy was presented to the Principal, Captain (IN) Shibu Devasia by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth at the All India Principals’ Conference held at Sainik School Kazhakootam, Kerala, on Wednesday, May 7, 2026.
“This achievement marks a historic milestone for the institution, which last received this honour in 2009. Reclaiming it after nearly 17 years reinforces Sainik School Nagrota’s stature as a premier institution shaping future leaders for the Armed Forces and contributing meaningfully to nation-building from the region of J&K,” said PRO Defence Jammu, Lt Col Suneel Bartwal.
In the NDA 154 course, the school recorded exceptional performance. A total of 35 cadets cleared the UPSC NDA written examination, reflecting strong academic mentoring and focused training.
Of these, 11 cadets successfully cleared the SSB interview and secured commendable positions in the All India Ranking (AIR).
The top performers of 154th course are Ikhlaq Hassan – AIR 50, Hussainin – AIR 145, Pranav Sharma – AIR 150, Aditya Kumar Singh – AIR 239, Prithvi Raj Sambyal – AIR 268, Divyansh Bhardwaj – AIR 292, Piyush Sharma – AIR 374 and Yasir Mukhtar Wani – AIR 432.
The cadets have already joined the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, marking a significant contribution to the future officer cadre of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.
“Sustaining this momentum, two cadets have joined NDA 155, while six more are set to join NDA 156 course shortly and thus further strengthening the school’s consistent performance trajectory,” Lt Col Bartwal said.
Speaking on the occasion, Principal Captain (IN) Shibu Devasia lauded the dedication of cadets, staff and parents, emphasising that this success reflected the school’s core values of discipline, leadership and patriotism. He reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to nurturing capable, confident and service-oriented youth from Jammu and Kashmir.
“Sainik School Nagrota continues to stand as a beacon of excellence in the Union Territory transforming aspirations into achievement and preparing young cadets to serve the nation with honour,” he said.