News Analysis India

Tag: Agnipath

  • Fresh plea in SC challenging government’s Agnipath scheme 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI:  A fresh plea has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme for recruitment in the armed forces.

    The petition filed by ex-servicemen Ravindra Singh Shekhawat has sought quashing of notification issued by the Ministry of Defence, contending it as illegal, unconstitutional, and ultra vires to the rights guaranteed under the Constitution.

    The recently launched scheme has received skepticism nationwide from the armed forces aspirants and has left several questions unanswered. Some of the concerns are related to the aspirants who were in the middle/final stages of their recruitment process.

    This abrupt change in the recruitment process has evoked several unforeseeable circumstances for the aspirants and has put their futures at stake/ in the dark.

    “The scheme fails to accommodate the individuals who have been preparing for the armed forces for the last many years and have not been able to participate in the recruitment process due to lack of vacancies due to Covid-19,” the plea said.

    The petition contended that this scheme jeopardizes the future of aspirants who have already successfully gone through the rigorous selection process of the armed forces once, compelling these individuals to initiate a fresh start for the selection process under the Agnipath Scheme.

    “As there is no assurance for these candidates to receive recruitment in the armed forces for which they have already qualified, the time devoted by these candidates for the preparation has gone down the drain.”

    “There is no assurance if these individuals will qualify for the Agnipath scheme and despite years of hard work and qualifying for the exam, no fruitful purpose has been served to these candidates,” the plea filed through advocate Rohit Pandey said.

    The plea has also sought directions to constitute a committee of Veterans, the Chief of all the Armed Forces, and other appropriate persons to look into the proposed scheme.

    It has also sought direction to initiate a ‘Pilot Project’, to study the cause and effect of the Agnipath Scheme, and the impact of the newly introduced training process on combat effectiveness, operational readiness, and defence preparedness.

    Several petitions have been filed against the scheme in the apex court. The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, provides for the recruitment of youths between the age of 17-and-a-half and 21 for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years.

    Protests have erupted in several states against the scheme. Later, the government extended the upper age limit to 23 years for recruitment in 2022.

  • Around 20 per cent of naval ‘Agniveers’ this year will be women

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Around 20 per cent of the ‘Agniveers’ to be inducted by the Indian Navy this year will be women, Navy officials said on Tuesday.

    The Navy plans to recruit about 3,000 personnel this year under the ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme and has started the registration process for the aspirants on July 1.

    The Navy will recruit women sailors for the first time through the new scheme. “Twenty per cent of the naval Agniveers will be women subject to their meeting required criteria,” said a senior Navy official.

    The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, seeks to recruit youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years to 21 for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years.

    For 2022, the upper age limit has been extended to 23 years. Under the scheme, the three services are set to recruit 46,000 personnel this year and the number is going to increase in the coming years.

    The Navy has already announced that the application window would be available from July 15 to 30 and examination and physical fitness tests would be held in mid-October.

    It said the first batch of recruits will join the training programme at INS Chilka in Odisha by November 21. There were violent protests for days in many parts of the country after the new military recruitment model was unveiled. The Supreme Court is likely to hear next week the pleas challenging the ‘Agnipath’ scheme.

  • Tejashwi makes fresh bid to fish in NDA’s troubled waters as he questions ramped up security in state BJP offices

    By PTI

    PATNA: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday made a fresh attempt at fishing in the NDA’s troubled waters in Bihar by questioning the manner in which security for the BJP’s leaders and offices were ramped up in the state in the wake of violent protests against ‘Agnipath’ scheme.

    The leader of the opposition came out with a series of tweets accusing BJP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi, MPs and MLAs, who have been given “Y” category security, of having no faith in their “own double engine government” but staying in a coalition with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) “just for the sake of power”.

    Yadav also alleged that deployment of central paramilitary forces at BJP offices was made “without taking the state government into confidence” and was tantamount to “assault on the federal structure”.

    BJP offices were torched in more than one districts and houses and cars of Renu Devi, besides party’s state unit president Sanjay Jaiswal and a couple of other MLAs were vandalised during the protests against ‘Agnipath’, the new scheme of recruitment in the armed forces.

    The BJP was obviously flabbergasted by the scale and intensity of the protests and contention of the JD(U) that these were “spontaneous” and not part of a “planned conspiracy” as suggested by the saffron party, had placed the ties between the two parties under strain.

    There have been rumours, neither confirmed nor denied by leaders of the JD(U) or the administration, that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre decided to give “Y” category security to 10 Bihar leaders and deploy personnel of central paramilitary forces at party offices, including the state headquarters here, without consulting the chief minister who also holds the home portfolio.

    Notably, Kumar himself has so far not spoken about ‘Agnipath’, which has come in for criticism by his close aides like JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Prasad Singh and parliamentary board chief Upendra Kushwaha.

    However, a visit to his residence recently by Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who later also declared that the chief minister was NDA’s undisputed leader in Bihar and will complete his five-year-term, was seen as an assuaging tactic by the central BJP leadership which may not like the JD(U), currently its largest ally in the country, to be estranged at this point.

    A softening of stance on part of the JD(U) was apparent during the recently concluded monsoon session of the assembly and ministers belonging to the party criticised, in unison with their BJP colleagues, the opposition’s ruckus over ‘Agnipath’.

    Nonetheless, Yadav, who has been buoyant over his party becoming the single largest group with four MLAs of the AIMIM joining the RJD, has indicated that he will not be sitting on his laurels and continue to keep the ruling NDA, whom he has repeatedly accused of achieving power “through backdoor”, on its toes.

    “The Bihar government should tell us whether the police is so incompetent so as to warrant deployment of central forces at BJP offices?”, tweeted Yadav, in a deft attempt to provoke the JD(U).

    “Did the Centre not attack the federal structure by deploying central forces without taking the state government into confidence,” he asked.

    “BJP leaders in Bihar have taken ‘Y’ category security because they do not trust their own double engine government in the state, the home department here and the police.

    Are these shameless (begairat) and corrupt (bhrasht) people in power just to loot the people?”, asked the former Deputy CM in yet another tweet.

    The term “double engine” is used by BJP leaders to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state.

    PTI NAC BDC BDC 07021712 NNNN

  • ‘Centre must extend retirement age of ‘Agniveers to 65 years’: Mamata urges Modi government

    By PTI

    BURDWAN: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged the Centre to extend the retirement age of soldiers recruited under the Agnipath scheme to 65 years, contending that they will stare at an uncertain future at the end of the four-year term.

    Banerjee also said the BJP-led central government launched the new defence recruitment scheme keeping in mind the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

    “My motto is to create more and more jobs unlike the BJP. They are training people for four months and recruiting them for four years. What will these soldiers do after four years? What will be their fate? It’s uncertain. “We demand that the retirement age be extended to 65 years (under the Agnipath scheme),” Banerjee said at an event here.

    It envisages recruiting in the armed forces youths in the age bracket of 17-and-half to 21 years for only four years, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years.

    For 2022, the upper age limit has been extended to 23 years.

    Banerjee had earlier claimed that the BJP was using the scheme to build its own “armed cadre base”.

  • Congress to launch anti-‘Agnipath’ stir, asks government to fill up 62 lakh vacancies 

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: The Congress has decided to organise protests across all the 182 Assembly segments in Gujarat and the rest of the country on Monday for the rollback of the Centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme for recruitment in armed forces, party leader Alka Lamba said on Sunday.

    The other demands of the party included filling up “62 lakh posts lying vacant in the Central and state governments” and the withdrawal of cases against the protesting youths, she said.

    “The Congress will hold protests in Gandhian style on June 27 across all the villages, districts, and Assembly constituencies in the country against the ‘Agnipath’ scheme. Protests will also be organised across 182 Assembly constituencies in Gujarat,” Lamba said.

    Referring to the “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” slogan, Congress said neither the jawan nor the farmers are happy in the country.

    “As many as 62 lakh posts in the Central and state governments are lying vacant. These should be filled up immediately. Out of these 62 lakh posts, 2,55,000 posts are for the Indian Army,” she said.

    Lamba alleged the BJP-led Centre has slashed the budgetary provisions for the Army by 4 per cent compared to the erstwhile Congress government.

    “If the government claims that it has no money for salaries and pensions, then why only the armed forces are made to bear the cut?” she asked.

    Lamba alleged that the government was intimidating non-violent protesters but Congress stands with them.

    “The Congress party will continue to fight in the interest of national security, the country and the youth,” she said.

    Lamba said the Prime Minister should shun his ego and talk to the youths instead of remaining silent on the issue.

  • If Agniveers don’t get pension, why should public representatives: BJP MP Varun Gandhi

    By PTI

    PILIBHIT: In his fresh criticism of the Centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme, BJP MP Varun Gandhi Friday said if those recruited in the armed forces under this initiative are not eligible for a pension, then why should public representatives get this post-retirement benefit.

    Gandhi has been questioning the ‘Agnipath’ scheme since it was unveiled on June 14 by the Centre. The scheme envisages recruiting young soldiers on a contractual basis for four years and retire 75 per cent of them without pension and health benefits.

    अल्पावधि की सेवा करने वाले अग्निवीर पेंशन के हकदार नही हैं तो जनप्रतिनिधियों को यह ‘सहूलियत’ क्यूँ?राष्ट्ररक्षकों को पेन्शन का अधिकार नही है तो मैं भी खुद की पेन्शन छोड़ने को तैयार हूँ।क्या हम विधायक/सांसद अपनी पेन्शन छोड़ यह नही सुनिश्चित कर सकते कि अग्निवीरों को पेंशन मिले?
    — Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) June 24, 2022
    However, it assures them of an exit package of Rs 11.70 lakh. “If Agniveers who serve for a short period of time are not entitled to a pension, then why this ‘facility’ should be for public representatives? If those who protect the country do not have the right to pension then I am also ready to forego mine,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

    “Can we, the MLA/sMPs, give up our pension to ensure that Agniveers get a pension,” he said. Earlier, he had extended support to students protesting against the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme, but had urged them to follow the path of non-violence.

  • BJP has ‘broken’ dream of lakhs of youth: Rahul Gandhi on Agnipath

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Attacking the BJP over the ‘Agnipath’ scheme, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the ruling party has “broken the dream” of lakhs of youth to serve the country and asserted that a storm will rise from their tears that will break Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “arrogance of power”.

    Taking to Twitter, Gandhi posted a video of a young man in tears expressing anguish over having lost the chance to join the armed forces.

    “There has not been any recruitment in the armed forces for the last two years. 2018-19: 53,431; 2019-20: 80,572; 2020-21: 0; 2021-22: 0,” the former Congress chief said.

    “By bringing ‘Agniveers’ on a four-year contract, the BJP has broken the dream of lakhs of youth to serve the nation. Such a storm will rise from these tears that will destroy the arrogance of power of the prime minister,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

    Addressing Congress parliamentarians and legislators from across the country who converged at the party headquarters here on Wednesday to express solidarity with him after he was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate, Gandhi had alleged that the BJP government “which calls itself nationalist” was “weakening” the armed forces through the ‘Agnipath’ scheme.

    He had also said Modi will have to withdraw the military recruitment initiative just like he rolled back the farm laws.

    Several parts of the country witnessed protests after the announcement of the scheme that seeks to recruit youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years to 21 for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years.

    For 2022, the upper age limit has been extended to 23 years.

  • Agnipath scheme will create ‘dreadful’ situation in country: AAP MP Sanjay Singh writes to PM Modi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: AAP MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to “immediately” roll back the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, claiming that the country will face a “dreadful situation” if it is implemented.

    Flagging a host of deficiencies in the scheme, Singh claimed that its implementation would “destroy” the basic structure and capability of the army with recruitment of soldiers and their deployment after merely six months of training.

    With the scheme offering a short-term service with no pension and other benefits, Singh claimed, anti-national and criminal outfits may mislead and use against the country and the society those who would not get any job and face financial hardships after coming out of the forces on completion of four years of their service.

    ALSO READ| Some people ‘spreading anarchy’ to ‘remove’ PM: Ramdev on Agnipath protests

    “It is astonishing that the government is preparing to deploy crores of youths in front of the enemy’s bayonets by providing them merely six months of training,” The AAP MP said in his letter to the prime minister.

    The country’s army today have such soldiers on the borders that no power in the world can compete with them because they underwent “one-and-a-half to two years” of rigorous and efficient training after their recruitment, Singh said.

    “Without adequate training, what will our youth be able to do other than endangering their lives as well as the security and sovereignty of the country?” he asked.

    He also urged the prime minister to think what would be the state of mind of the jawans to be recruited under the Agnipath scheme and deployed on the borders, asking will they have “the morale to give a befitting reply to the enemy” when they are worried every moment about their future after completion of four years of their service.

    He also urged the prime minister to consider what will happen if a soldier, who is recruited under the scheme and trained in handling all types weapons, is misled by anti-national and criminal outfits after he returns home after completing four years of service and faces financial hardships while being unemployed.

    ALSO READ| Agnipath scheme in a real sense is a scam meant to inflame India’s youth, says Kanhaiya Kumar

    “(If that happens) what a big challenge it can become for the internal security of the country and peace of the society. Certainly, efforts will be made by the anti-national and criminal outfits to mislead these young youths and use them against the country and society taking advantage of their financial hardships,” Singh said.

    The AAP MP said the implementation of the scheme will push crores of youths of the country into “the dark lane of despair and depression”. “In the coming years, this scheme will create such a dreadful situation in the country that perhaps the government and its machinery of that time will have to deploy all its energy in dealing with it,” he added.

    Singh termed the roll-out of the scheme “an outrageous move and a foolish decision” and accused the Narendra Modi government of going ahead with such a military recruitment plan just to make a claim through “this short-cut” that it provided jobs to lakhs of people in one stroke.

    The AAP leader dubbed the rollout of the Agnipath scheme “petty political trickery” and urged the prime minister to “immediately withdraw this black scheme”.

    He said that India is caught in “the vicious cycle” of economic depression, inflation and unemployment as the Narendra Modi government has failed “miserably” in bringing the country’s economy back on track due to its wrong policies.

    “In such a situation, in some way you want to reduce the pension bill of the army. That is why you are deciding to do away with the pension of army personnel through Agnipath scheme,” he charged in his letter to the prime minister.

    “I would like to suggest to you that the thousands of crores which your government is spending every year on your image building, glorification and advertisement, if that expenditure is stopped, then the exchequer will get a lot of relief,” he added.

  • Agnipath stir: Protestors to shell out for damages to public properties

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: With the tally of protestors arrested in connection with the anti-Agnipath stir so far by the UP police going up to 1120 with 595 more arrests during the past 24 hours, the police officers are busy making assessment of damages to the public property during the protests as they intend to make the protestors pay for it.

    As per the police department sources, the district police authorities and field officers were directed to initiate a recovery process after identifying the troublemakers who indulged in the destruction of public property during the stir.

    According to Additional Director General of Police ( Law and Order) Prashant Kumar, the police would be generous while dealing with the student protestors keeping their future in mind but making clear that those who indulged in the burning trains, damaging buses, police vehicles, police outposts, chowkies, ransacking the shops, would have to pay for the damages. 

    The ADG claimed that the recovery would be one after the identification of the trouble makers through photographs and video footages. The identification process was already on in districts including Ballia, Varanasi, Aligarh, Mathura, and Agra districts where major violence was reported. “Recovery notice would soon be served on those who were involved in vandalism, arson, and damaging public property,” said another senior police official.

    UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) chief general manager, Technical, Sanjay Shukla confirmed that the corporation was asked to assess the damages to the buses during the protests. He claimed that around 40 UPSRTC buses were destroyed on different routes. Similarly, the railway officials are also evaluating the damages to railway property during the stir.

    However, of the total 1120 protestors held so far, 618 were arrested for violation of Section 151 of the CrPC for causing a nuisance, and 502 were arrested for arson and vandalism across 19 different districts, including 12 eastern UP districts. 

    As many as 603 protestors were arrested on the charge of violation of Section 151 of CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) for causing a nuisance and were released later.

    Sharing further details, ADG (Law and Order) said a maximum of 90 people were arrested from Mathura and booked in five cases of arson and vandalism, 66 people were arrested from Aligarh in six cases, 54 people from Jaunpur in 11 cases, and 53 people were arrested in Chandauli in seven cases, including one case registered with Government Railway Police (GRP).

    Similarly, 49 people were arrested from Ballia in three cases including one case of GRP, 40 people in four cases of Mirzapur as well as 40 others in two cases of Ghazipur, 36 people in nine cases under the Varanasi police commissionerate, 18 people were arrested in three cases of Deoria and 10 people each in one case each registered at Gautam Buddh Nagar and Firozabad.

    The ADG said nine people were arrested in two cases in Agra, eight people in one case in Fatehgarh, seven people in a case in Mau, four in one case in Sultanpur, three each were arrested in one case in Mainpuri and one case in Gorakhpur while two others were arrested in two separate cases of Hardoi. No arrests were made in one case each registered at Sant Kabir Nagar and Ayodhya, he added.

    He said the arrests under 151 CrPC were made in eight districts, including 159 protestors in Ballia, 316 in Jaunpur, 58 in Aligarh, 27 in Mathura, 25 in Mau, 24 in Hardoi, five in Ayodhya and four in Sultanpur.

  • No question of rollback of Agnipath scheme: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: There was no question of a rollback of the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval asserted on Tuesday. In an interview to a news agency, Doval said that India has one of the youngest populations in the world and it cannot continue to have an army with a high average age.

    There were people who just wanted conflict in society to discredit the government, Doval added. On what will happen to the Agniveers after four years, the NSA said, “When recruits from the first batch of Agniveers retire, India will be 5-trillion-dollar economy; industry will need people who have age on their side. These men and women will still be young and won’t have family compulsions.”

    ALSO READ| Protests should be peaceful: Pankaj Tripathi on anti-Agnipath demonstrations

    On the controversy over Nupur Sharma’s remark on Prophet Mohammed, Doval said it had dented India’s reputation internationally. “It has (damaged India’s reputation), in the sense that India has been projected or some disinformation has been spread which is far from the reality. There is a need for us to engage them…Wherever we have engaged with the concerned people, both outside and inside, we have been able to convince them,” the NSA said.

    Talking about the border standoff with China, he said, “We have made our intentions very clear to China and they are aware we will not tolerate any transgression.”