Allow youths to give exam to join army: Mann

CHANDIGARH : Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said that those youths who had cleared the physical test for joining the army in the last two years must be given a chance to appear in the written exam instead of implementation of the Centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme.

In a statement issued here, the chief minister, while reiterating his demand for roll back of the scheme, said that it is ridiculous that from the last two years, thousands of youths have cleared the physical test of the armed forces but they have not been called for the written exam.

On the contrary, he said that the NDA government had in a “whimsical move” introduced the ‘Agnipath’ scheme, which allows short service of four years to youth in army without any pension.

Mann said that this is grave injustice with the youth of the country who want to serve their motherland by joining the Indian army.

The chief minister said that the Union government must take back this scheme and allow the youth, who had cleared their physical test in the last two years, to sit in the written exam as this will give them a fair chance to join the Indian army and serve their motherland.

Mann said that this is a need of the hour as this “irrational move” has already put the country on boil as youth from every nook and corner of India are agitating against this decision.

The chief minister said that ‘Agnipath’, if implemented, will dilute the fighting ability of the soldiers as in mere four years, they will not have much experience to combat enemies in rough battlefields and it will also render them jobless after a short stint in the army.