New Delhi: Amid violent protests across states over Agnipath Army recruitment scheme, the Central government on Thursday issued clarification and said the future of the Agniveers is stable as several aspirants voiced concern on the same. The government sources, as quoted by news agency PTI, said there will no changes to composition of regiments of the Indian Army during the recruitment process.
The government also added that the new scheme will increase opportunities for youths to join armed forces, adding that recruitment under the new scheme will be around triple of the current enrolment.
“No change is being done to the regimental system. In fact, it will be further accentuated because the best of ‘Agniveers’ will be selected, further boosting cohesiveness of the units,” PTI quoted the sources as saying.
Refuting the claims that the Agnipath scheme will harm the effectiveness of the forces, the government sources said such a system exists in several countries and hence, it is already “tested out and considered best practice for an agile army”.
Massive protests turned violent in Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh over the Centre’s Agnipath Army recruitment scheme.
Several Aspirants agitating against Agnipath went on a rampage at the BJP’s Nawada office and destroyed several properties. They also set the BJP office on fire. More than 300 chairs, office properties and documents were gutted in the fire.
In Bihar’s Gopalganj district, the agitating aspirants set three coaches of a passenger train on fire at Sidhwalia railway station.
In Chhapra, the protesters attacked as many as 12 trains and set three of them on fire. In Kaimur, they set Inter-city Express train on fire.
More than 15 districts across Bihar on Thursday witnessed massive protests and vandalism against the Agnipath scheme.
The majority of the aspirants demanded withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme and start of normal recruitment into defence forces.
Several agitators protested against delay in Railway recruitment exams and the newly launched Agnipath scheme and subsequently stopped a train in the national capital. Around 15-20 people gathered at railway station Nangloi and staged a protest against delay in Railway recruitment examinations and the recently introduced Agnipath Scheme.
“During the protest they stopped one train at Nangloi Railway Station bearing train number 04424 (Jind to old Delhi),” Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer district) Sameer Sharma said.
Protests turned violent in some districts of Uttar Pradesh against the ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme of the Central government. Students blocked the GT road in Bulandshahr and raised slogans demanding the withdrawal of the scheme which allow short-term recruitment in the armed forces.
In Gonda, the protests were led by students who carried placards and shouted slogans against the scheme.
Similarly, in Unnao too, protests were held with students and unemployed youth demanding that recruitment be done in the traditional way instead of short-term contract.
On Tuesday, the Union Cabinet approved ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces. The youth selected under this scheme will be known as ‘Agniveers’. About 46,000 of them will be recruited this year.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the scheme is a transformative initiative and under it Indian youngsters will get an opportunity to serve in armed forces. “The scheme will increase employment opportunities and aim to create a youthful profile of the Armed forces,” Singh said.
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