At just 10 years when children seldom can think beyond their games and toys, Kharghar based Kshitij Kalyan Jadhav, has brought laurels to the city by acquiring first rank in Maharashtra and 12th nationally in the All India Sainik School Entrance Examination (AISSEE) 2025.
The highly competitive entrance exam for securing admission into the Sainik Schools – residential institution managed by the Sainik Schools society under the Ministry of Defence is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) under the Ministry of education.
These schools aim to prepare students for a disciplined life and eventual entry into the National Defence Academy (NDA).
Kshitij, the son of Jadhav’s family, had been preparing for the past 14 months to be able to appear for the exam. “ He has been a studious boy with interest in academics as well as sports. Earlier my elder daughter who is presently studying in 8th standard had attempted for the exams but couldn’t make it to the merit list. However after seeing her my son was motivated to prepare for the exams,” said the father, a banker by profession.
This year the father informed that the entrance exam — usually held in January — was conducted in April. Kshitij, a Class 4 student studying in Ramsheth Thakur Public School , appeared for the Class 6 entrance test and cleared it on his very first attempt.
“The exam portion included topics taught till standard 8th , so my son followed a very strict schedule for the past 14 months. This included waking at 6 am for self study. At 8 am he brushed up his general knowledge and followed by studying Math till 12 pm. After this he went to school till 6 pm. Once home, he prepared for the entrance exam by attending an online coaching class till 9.30 pm. He would continue studying till 11 pm after which he slept,” recalled his father.
He secured full marks in Mathematics and logic, and narrowly missed a perfect score in English and General Knowledge by just two marks each. “ The exam carries a total of 300 marks, with subject-wise weightage: Maths (150), Intelligence (50), English (50), and GK (50),” informed the father.
Sainik Schools are known for their disciplined routine and high-quality education system. With only 100 seats available for Class 6 and 40 for Class 9 each year, competition to secure admission is stated to be intense. Kshitij will now undergo online counselling to choose his preferred school location, followed by a medical examination before formal admission. Maharashtra currently hosts two Sainik Schools — in Satara and Chandrapur, while Karnataka has two in Bijapur and Bengaluru. “I first learned about Sainik Schools in 2022 when my daughter was promoted to Class 6,” said Kshitij’s father. “After researching the opportunities, I realized how these schools blend discipline with academic and physical training, laying a strong foundation for a career and overall life. These traits are now extremely necessary with the exposure children nowadays have with social media,” said the father.
The student aspires to pursue medicine in the later years. To honor this significant accomplishment, former Corporator Netra Kiran Patil, along with Kiran Patil, President of Yuvaprerna Social Foundation and BJP Kharghar Mandal Vice President, visited Kshitij’s home to congratulate him and present him with a shawl and gift as a token of appreciation. "Kshitij has made the entire region proud with his exceptional performance," said Patil
Kshitij’s dedication to academics, supported strongly by his family, played a crucial role in securing this top rank. "He emphasized balancing studies with sports, highlighting the importance of physical activity alongside education," informed Patil.
