Bhonsala Military School, Nashik

Bhonsala Military School in Nasik was founded by the Late Dharamaveer Dr. Balkrishna Shivramji Moonje, who believed in the Indianization of the Armed Forces during British rule and the importance of military training for Indian youth. Dr Moonje established the Central Hindu Military Education Society in Nasik in 1935 and opened the institution on June 12, 1937. The school opened in the Surgana Palace in Nasik with 90 students. The school's main building was inaugurated by the Maharaja of the former Gwalior state, H H Shriman Jivajirao Scindia. In his inaugural address, he observed, "It is not a mere coincidence that within a short period of the opening of a first-rate public school in India (he was referring to the Doon School, Dehradun), we are here today to open a first-rate Military School." The founder's charisma, charm, and aura were so strong that he persuaded the then-Governor of Bombay State, Sir Roger Lumley, to lay the foundation stone for the school's current main structure. Over the years, the school has established itself as a prominent residential school that meets the educational demands of students from all across India, as well as a focal point for Military Education. The Indian Public Schools Conference, an association of the heads of the country's premier public schools, gave the school affiliation in 1995.