No rollback of Agnipath scheme; recruitment schedule announced
Ruling out the rollback of the ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme despite widespread protests, the three services of the military on Sunday came out with a broad schedule of enrolment under the new policy and asserted that it was aimed at bringing down the age profile of the armed forces.
Lt Gen Anil Puri, the additional secretary in the Department of Military Affairs, told media that the supportive measures announced in the last few days for the Agniveers were not because of the protests and arson, and the government was already working on them.
On whether the government was reviewing the scheme because of the protests, Lt Gen Puri said, “No, why should there be a rollback?”
The tri-services media briefing took place after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met with the chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force for the second straight day.
Lt Gen Puri said the major reform in the armed forces to bring down their age profile was introduced
after years of deliberations and studying the recruitment process and tenure in other countries.
He added that even a high-level committee on the 1999 Kargil War had made suggestions on it.
Giving details of the Navy’s plan to induct ‘Agniveers’ under the scheme, Vice Admiral (Personnel) Dinesh Tripathi said the naval headquarters will come out with a
broad guideline by June 25.
The first batch of recruits will join the training programme on INS Chilka in Odisha by November 21, he said, adding the Navy is recruiting both men and women.
About the Indian Air Force’s plan for induction under the Agnipath scheme, Air Marshall S K Jha said the registration process will start on June 24 and the process for online examination for phase one of the recruitment process will begin on July 24.
About the Army’s recruitment plan, Lt Gen Bansi Ponappa said the Army will issue a draft notification on Monday and subsequent notifications will be issued by various recruitment units of the force from July 1 onwards.
Amid widespread protests against the new military recruitment scheme, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said by repeatedly giving false hope of jobs, he has forced the youth to walk on ‘Agnipath’ of unemployment.
He also said 16 crore jobs were to be given in eight years, but the youth only got knowledge on “frying pakoras”. His attack came on a day Congress MPs and top leaders, including general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, sat on a “Satyagraha” at the Jantar Mantar in solidarity with the youths protesting against the Agnipath scheme.
“By repeatedly giving false hope of jobs, the prime minister has forced the youth of the country to walk on the ‘Agnipath’ of unemployment,” Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
“In 8 years, 16 crore jobs were to be given but the youth only got knowledge on frying pakoras,” the former Congress chief said. Only the prime minister is responsible for this condition of the country, he added.
Gandhi has appealed to party leaders and workers not to celebrate his birthday on Sunday. In a message to them, he said that the youngsters of the country were anguished and protesting on the streets and the Congress workers should stand with them.
The Centre on Saturday announced several incentives, including 10 per cent reservation in vacancies in the defence ministry.