19-12-2025 : Address by the Hon’ble Governor at the annual function of Sainik School Kapurthala.

Principal, teachers, distinguished guests, proud parents, alumni, and my dear cadets,

An Annual Day is not just a function. It is the school holding up a mirror to itself and asking, what have we built this year. Not only in marks and medals, but in character. When I see the parade, the performances, the confidence on this stage, and the quiet discipline in the way you carry yourselves, I feel both pride and a deep sense of gratitude, because I know what this institution does to a young person over time. It shapes him. It tests him. It strengthens him.

Standing here today at Sainik School, Kapurthala, I feel a sense of return that is difficult to describe. I am not here merely as the Governor of a state. I am standing here as a former student who once arrived at this very school as a young boy, carrying a small trunk, big dreams, and a quiet prayer in his heart.

This institution did not simply educate me. It transformed me. For an alumnus, Annual Day is also a homecoming. You see the same grounds, the same discipline, the same spirit, but you also see how each new batch carries the legacy forward in its own way. And when you have lived that life, you do not watch an Annual Day as an outsider. You watch it as someone who knows the effort behind every perfect turn out, every crisp command, every confident line spoken on stage, and every salute given with pride.

I still remember the bus ride that brought me here for the first time. It was filled with boys from villages across Punjab and Haryana, looking out of the windows, each lost in his own thoughts. There was excitement, nervousness, and silence all at once. We did not speak much, but every one of us knew that we were here for something larger than ourselves. I remember closing my eyes in that bus, offering a silent prayer, believing that perseverance and faith had brought me to this place for a reason. Today, as I look at cadets sitting here, I can almost recognise that same silence. It is not emptiness. It is the weight of hope. It is the beginning of purpose.

When I joined this school, I thought discipline meant drills, physical training, and rigid routines. Only later did I understand that discipline is not about punishment or control. Discipline is about self mastery. It teaches you to do what is required, even when no one is watching, even when it is uncomfortable, even when it is difficult. Annual Day celebrates achievements, but it is built on what happens on ordinary days. The early morning when no one is clapping. The practice when no one is watching. The correction when no one is praising you. That is where Sainik School builds its cadets.

Physically, I was small built. Among boys who were taller and stronger, I often found myself in the first few rows, both in class and on the parade ground. But Sainik School teaches you early that life does not reward size alone. It rewards resolve. It rewards effort. It rewards those who are willing to work on what they can change instead of complaining about what they cannot. This school gave me that understanding very early in life. And that is why, when I look at young cadets today, I do not only look at height or strength. I look at the eyes. I look at seriousness. I look at the willingness to improve. Because that willingness is what becomes leadership.

One of the biggest challenges I faced when I came here was language. I knew English, but speaking it confidently was another matter. I realised very quickly that if I wanted to succeed in life, I had to overcome this hesitation. So I immersed myself in learning. I read extensively. I practised relentlessly. I joined debating and drama, not because it was easy, but because it scared me. I still remember a simple moment that changed something inside me. Every morning, one student was selected to read the news. When my turn came, instead of reading from the paper, I memorised the entire script and recited it word for word without opening my notes. The applause that followed was not just encouragement. It was validation that effort works, that confidence can be built, and that fear can be conquered. Annual Day is full of applause, but what you should remember is that applause comes only after discipline, and confidence comes only after practice. That lesson stayed with me for life.

Academically, I loved mathematics and chemistry. Algebra and geometry fascinated me. Even today, the analytical thinking and structured reasoning I learned through those subjects help me in governance. Decision making, policy formulation, understanding complex systems, and weighing outcomes all require the same discipline of thought that mathematics teaches you. I remember working relentlessly for a chemistry award when the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Giani Zail Singh, was to visit our school. When I walked up to receive that award, it became a personal lesson I carry even today. If you work hard enough, you can reach a place where your effort is recognised at the highest levels. Nothing meaningful comes without sustained effort. And that is the deeper meaning of Annual Day for students. It teaches you that achievements are not luck. They are earned.

One of the most defining moments of my school life came during a drama performance for the Defence Minister, Babu Jagjivan Ram. I was barely eleven years old, portraying an old woman. Standing on that stage, facing a hall full of people, I felt fear like never before. For a moment, everything appeared hazy. I closed my eyes and silently said Waheguru. When I began speaking, an unexpected laugh erupted from the audience. A child had shouted Aunty. The hall burst into laughter. I froze. But then I saw the Defence Minister nod gently, as if to say, go on. That nod gave me the courage to continue. The applause at the end of that performance changed something permanently within me. From that day onward, fear of public speaking never held me back again. This school does that to you. It places you in situations that test you early, so that life cannot intimidate you later. And Annual Day is one such test. This stage is not only for entertainment. It is a training ground for confidence, composure, and presence.

Sports played an equally important role in shaping me. Cricket taught me strategy and self belief. I still remember an inter-house match where I requested a chance to bowl when wickets were falling. Three deliveries later, I had taken a hat-trick. That moment was not about celebration. It was about realising that confidence, preparation, and courage can change outcomes. Gymnastics, equestrian training, and physical endurance taught me balance, courage, and control. Riding bareback, training horses, controlling traffic during cross-country runs, all instilled responsibility and alertness. These are not sporting skills alone. They are life skills. And when you see a cadet perform confidently in sports or on stage today, remember what is really being displayed. Preparedness. Teamwork. Control. Responsibility.

Sainik School also taught me brotherhood. I recall an incident involving a stolen cake, youthful mischief, and inevitable punishment. What stayed with me was not the mistake, but the loyalty. Despite being questioned and punished, not one boy betrayed another. That silent solidarity, standing by each other even when it was difficult, is the very soul of Armed Forces life. Annual Day celebrates the individual winner, but the real strength of this school is not the individual. It is the unit. It is the sense of belonging. It is the understanding that you do not leave your own behind.

Life tested me even outside school. Once, after exams, I was left alone at a railway station in Delhi when no one came to receive me. It was night. I was scared. But I reminded myself that I was from Sainik School. If I could not stand up for myself, what was the value of all this training. I walked, asked for directions, trusted my memory, and found my way. That experience reinforced what this school had already taught me. Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting despite it. Many of you will face moments in life where there is no one to guide you in that moment. What will guide you then is what has been built inside you here.

All these experiences point to one larger truth. Sainik School does not merely prepare students for the NDA. It prepares them for service to the nation. The Armed Forces ethos is about discipline, sacrifice, teamwork, and putting the nation before self. Even those who do not join the forces carry these values into civil life, governance, education, science, and leadership. The nation needs citizens who can be trusted with responsibility, who can hold themselves to a standard even when there is no external pressure, and who can lead without arrogance. That is what this school produces.

To the parents, thank you for trusting this institution with your children. You are investing not just in education, but in character. To the teachers and staff, your influence goes far beyond classrooms. Your work lives on through your students. And to my dear cadets, remember this. You may not realise it today, but you are being shaped here for moments that will define your life. Carry this discipline with pride. Carry this courage with humility. Carry this sense of service wherever you go.

As we celebrate this Annual Day, I congratulate every cadet who has performed on this stage, every cadet who has earned an award, and also those whose names may not be announced today but who worked just as hard. In life, not every effort receives a public certificate, but every sincere effort builds you. I stand here today as someone whose journey was shaped decisively by Sainik School, Kapurthala. This institution took a village boy and placed him on a path of service, discipline, and purpose. For that, I will remain forever grateful. I wish this school continued success in shaping future leaders who serve India with honour, integrity, and courage.

Thank you.
Jai Hind.