Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday inaugurated India's first all-girls sainik school in Uttar Pradesh's Vrindavan. He said Samvid Gurukulam Girls Sainik School, with a strength of about 870 students, will "act as a beacon" for girls aspiring to join the Army and serve the motherland. "[Girls] have the right to protect the nation...like their male counterparts," he added.