Kunjpura: One of them is the chief of the second biggest Army in the world. The other, the chief of one of the most progressive states in the country. Sunday saw General Deepak Kapoor and Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda come together for the old boys meet of their alma mater, Sainik (Military) School here.

Hooda, who was a student here in the late 1950s, said that the school was one of the premier institutions of the country.

"Coming here for me is like coming to a religious place. The primary aim of the school was to provide promising cadets to the National Defence Academy (NDA)," Hooda told a gathering.

"Haryana is a small state, but it is a matter of pride that every 10th soldier in the defence forces of the country hails from Haryana," Hooda added, while announcing a grant of RS.21 lakh for the school.

"Under the guidance of the able principal and the staff, the school has not only maintained its high standard but also created new benchmarks and emerged as one of the best educational institutions of its kind in the country," army chief, General Deepak Kapoor said.

School principal, Colonel Arun Datta said that the school took pride in the fact that its students had reached top positions in different fields. IANS