On October 12, 2003, the Hon'ble Raksha Mantri Shri George Fernandes launched Sainik School Nalanda in Rajgir. It is one of thirty-three Sainik Schools that were founded around the country as residential schools for boys to acquire public education under the direction of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, New Delhi's Sainik Schools Society. Bihar is actually the first state with two Sainik Schools, since Sainik School Gopalganj in Hathwa established on the same day.