Tag: Agniveer

  • SC on damage to public properties: Mob violence runs against very core of legal principles

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Widespread violent protest and loss of public properties across several States against the Centre’s new “Agnipath” military recruitment scheme go against the very core of legal principles and a slew of directions passed by the Supreme Court in its various judgements to curb such incidents.

    In the past, the apex court dealt sternly with those indulging in such incidents by deprecating the “disconcerting rise” in violent protests and demonstrations by private entities and also has observed that “Nobody has the right to become a self-appointed guardian of the law and forcibly administer his or her interpretation of the law on others, especially not with violent means.”

    Some of the important directions like indicting leaders of the organisations indulging in violent protests leading to damage of properties, asking high courts to suo motu take cognizance of such incidents, and awarding compensation to the victims have been witnessed in the last few years after the apex court pro actively deliberated on the issue.

    In recent years, whenever there are widespread incidents of violence targeting government policies, the exhibition of movies, social functions, and sections of people on moral grounds, the apex court has asked the authorities to fix the accountability on those who damage the public and private properties.

    Despite a special law, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, 1984, being in force but lacking in its teeth, the top court took suo motu note of incidents of wide-scale violence and loss of public properties in 2007 and constituted two committees to give its recommendations.

    On April 16, 2009, the apex court took note of the recommendations of two committees led by Justice K T Thomas, a retired apex court judge, and noted jurist FS Nariman and said that the suggestions are extremely important and they constitute sufficient guidelines that need to be adopted.

    The report of Justice (retd) KT Thomas Committee had recommended that the PDPP Act, 1984 must be amended to incorporate a rebuttable presumption (after the prosecution established the two facets) that the accused is guilty of the offence.

    It had said that the PDPP Act should contain a provision to make the leaders of the organization, which calls the direct action, guilty of abetment of the offence and enable the police officers to arrange videography of the activities damaging public property.

    The Nariman committee also made several recommendations including that “Where persons, whether jointly or otherwise, are part of a protest which turns violent, results in damage to private or public property, the persons who have caused the damage, or were part of the protest or who have organized will be deemed to be strictly liable for the damage so caused, which may be assessed by the ordinary courts or by any special procedure created to enforce the right”.

    The top court had accepted the recommendations of the Nariman committee which said “Wherever a mass destruction to the property takes place due to protests or thereof, the High Court may issue suo motu action and set up the machinery to investigate the damage caused and to award compensation related thereto”.

    It had said where there is more than one state involved; such action may be taken by the Supreme Court.

    In 2018, the top court while deprecating the “disconcerting rise” in violent protests and demonstrations by private entities targeting public properties, the exhibition of movies, social functions, and sections of people on moral grounds relied on its 2009 verdict.

    The 2018 verdict had come on a plea filed by the Kodungallur Film Society which had highlighted the serious law and order problem that had arisen before the release of the controversial movie ‘Padmaavat’.

    It said that nobody has the right to become a “self-appointed guardian” of law as mob violence runs against the very core of legal principles signalling chaos and lawlessness.

    While making it clear that states have a duty to protect the citizens, the apex court had said that the court was conscious that crimes committed by groups of “self-appointed keepers of public morality” might be on account of different reasons, but the purpose was to exercise unlawful power of authority and create fear in the minds of the public.

    It had said, “Mob violence runs against the very core of our established legal principles since it signals chaos and lawlessness and the State has a duty to protect its citizens against the illegal and reprehensible acts of such groups”.

    The top court had added: “This court has time and time again underscored the supremacy of law and that one must not forget that administration of law can only be done by law-enforcing agencies recognised by law.

    Recently on February 18, the top court had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to refund the fine and restore the attached properties of the alleged anti-CAA protestors for causing damage to public and private assets in December 2019 while terming it as a case of “unjust enrichment”.

    The top court said that the due procedure laid down by the apex court in its 2009 and 2018 verdicts was not followed by the state government on the assessment of damages and asked it to initiate proceedings under the new 2020 law– Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property Act notified on August 31, 2020.

  • Train stations, highways turn into battleground as youth fury over ‘Agnipath’ singes nation

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI/SECUNDERABAD/PATNA: A man was shot dead in police firing in Telangana’s Secunderabad, trains went up in flames, and public and private vehicles attacked, as railway stations and highways turned into battlegrounds in many states on Friday amid burgeoning protests against Agnipath, the contentious defence recruitment scheme.

    The 24-year-old Rakesh, an Army aspirant from Dabeerpet village in Warangal district, is the first to person to have died in the violent protests which have swept across the country since Wednesday.

    Assurances by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and the Army chief failed to cut ice with hordes of angry youth, carrying bamboo sticks and stones, storming railway premises across cities and small towns and laying siege to highways, creating a security scare.

    The Railways cancelled 234 trains while 340 trains have been affected due to the protests.

    Coaches of seven trains have so far been set ablaze by protesters, officials said, adding carriages of three running trains in the East Central Railway (ECR), headquartered in Bihar’s Hajipur, and one empty rake in Kulharia, also in the same zone, were damaged by protestors.

    One coach of a train was also damaged in the washing line at Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia.

    So far, 64 trains were short terminated in ECR.

    As the depredations against the recruitment scheme continued for the third day across large parts of India, from Uttar Pradesh to Telangana and Bihar to Madhya Pradesh, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and Army chief Gen Manoj Pande tried to assuage the concerns of the agitators with little success.

    ALSO READ | Agnipath stir: Army aspirant who lost life to police bullet came from a farming family

    Though not as intense, protests were also organised in Jharkhand, Punjab and Rajasthan.

    The Army chief said the government’s Thursday night decision to raise the upper age limit to 23 years from 21 under the scheme in 2022 will provide an opportunity to youths who were preparing to join the force but couldn’t in the last two years.

    The Centre’s decision to increase the upper age limit will benefit a large number of youth, Shah said.

    He added that the recruitment process in the Army had been affected for the last two years due to the Covid pandemic and Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a sensitive decision by showing concern for the youth of the country.

    “I heartily thank Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi for his concern and sensitivity towards the future of the youths.

    I appeal to the youth that the process of recruitment in the army is going to start in a few days.

    They start their preparation for it,” Rajnath Singh tweeted, calling the scheme a “golden opportunity” for the youth.

    But the protests spread, seemingly uncontrolled, with crowds squatting on tracks and highways, pelting trains and buses with stones, toppling vending kiosks at train stations and burning used tyres on tracks.

    Fiery orange flames leapt out of the windows of trains at Secunderabad, and Lakhisarai and Samastipur in Bihar, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky that could be seen from several kilometres away.

    Broken tube lights, benches and stones littered several railway stations across the country.

    Policemen in anti-riot gear were seen chasing away the protesters, hundreds of whom were rounded up.

    Demonstrators also blocked highways at several places in Buxar, Bhagalpur and Samastipur with burnt tyres.

    Besides targeting railway properties, the protesters attacked the house of Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi and the car of a BJP MLA in Bihar.

    State BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal’s residence in Bettiah town was also vandalised but the leader claimed the attackers were not job aspirants.

    Internet services have been suspended in 12 of Bihar’s 38 districts to check the spread of false news, ADG (Law and Order) Sanjay Singh said.

    Several students’ organisations, including CPI-ML (Liberation)-linked AISA, have called a state-wide bandh in Bihar on Saturday.

    ALSO READ | Scheme for Agniveers: Jharkhand CM terms Centre ‘sloganveer’; BJP says he is ‘ghoshnaveer’

    The opposition Grand Alliance’s spearhead RJD has extended support to the bandh.

    One person was fatally injured when Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel fired to disperse the rampaging protesters at Secunderabad station.

    The injured are being treated in the state-run Gandhi Hospital.

    The scenes of chaos unfolded in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia, where the agitators shouting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Agnipath Vapas Lo” set an empty train on fire and vandalised a few other trains, provoking a baton charge.

    Protests also erupted in Varanasi, Firozabad and Amethi, causing damage to government buses and other symbols of public property.

    Dharmendra Singh, younger brother of Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister and Ballia MLA Daya Shankar Singh, said unruly elements threw stones at the camp office of the minister and also damaged a hoarding put at the office gate.

    Madhya Pradesh’s commercial capital Indore, Haryana’s Narwana and many places in West Bengal and Jharkhand witnessed protests.

    Following the violent protests in Palwal, the Haryana government has suspended mobile internet and SMS services for 24 hours in Ballabhgarh area of Faridabad district as a precautionary measure.

    Protests also broke out in Hisar, Fatehabad and Jhajjar in Haryana.

    The national capital was relatively quiet but Metro travel was disrupted with members of the Left-affiliated All India Students’ Association staging demonstrations.

    The entry and exit gates of some Delhi Metro stations had to be closed.

    Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) made a fresh plea to the Centre for an immediate review of the ‘Agnipath’ scheme, and to assure protesting youngsters that their future will not be adversely affected by the new policy.

    ALSO READ | Agnipath: All you need to know about Army recruitment scheme that has India on the boil

    “The announcement of ‘Agnipath’ scheme by the Centre has triggered resentment among youths of Bihar and other parts of the country. The Centre should, therefore, think of an immediate review (‘avilamb punarvichar’) of the scheme. If that is not possible, it must assure the youngsters that the scheme is not going to adversely affect their future,” JD(U) national president and MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh said.

    While the government defended the scheme, saying it will secure the future of youths and help maintain a youthful profile of the armed forces, opposition leaders maintained it would adversely impact the functioning of the armed forces.

    “Agnipath – youth rejected. Farm laws – farmers rejected. Noteban – economists rejected. GST – traders rejected.”

    “The prime minister does not understand what the people of the country want, as he cannot hear anything except the voice of his ‘friends’,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi, mounting an acerbic attack on the Modi government.

    BJP leaders, however, lauded the government’s decision to raise the upper age limit for recruitment under the Agnipath scheme to 23 years from 21 for this year, with party chief J P Nadda saying it shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fully seized of the concerns of the country’s youth and is making efforts for their bright future.

    Unfazed by the intensifying protests, the Army, Navy and the Air Force on Friday announced they will start the enrolment process under the new model by next week.

    Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari told PTI that the selection process by the Indian Air Force for recruitment under the new scheme will start from June 24, while the Army said it will begin the initial exercise within two days.

    The Indian Navy said it will start the recruitment process “very soon”.

    A senior naval commander said the notification for the recruitment will be out within a week.

    The three services are planning to deploy the first batches of recruits under the new scheme, both in operational and non-operational roles, by June next year, senior military officials said.

  • Modi can’t hear anything except voice of ‘friends’: Rahul amid Agnipath protests

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not understand what the people of the country want as he cannot hear anything except the voice of his “friends.”

    He said this a day after the government raised the upper age limit to 23 years from 21 years for recruitment under ‘Agnipath’, amid protests by youth in several parts of the country against the scheme.

    Gandhi also cited schemes such as GST, noteban, farm laws and now Agnipath, saying they were projected to be for the welfare of the people but were rejected by the citizens.

    ALSO READ: Centre announces ‘one-time’ change, raises age limit to 23 yrs 

    “Agnipath – youth rejected. Farm laws – farmers rejected. Noteban – economists rejected. GST – traders rejected.”

    “The prime minister does not understand what the people of the country want, as he cannot hear anything except the voice of his ‘friends’,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, too, urged the prime minister to withdraw the scheme as the youth are opposing it with protests.

    She said that the BJP government had to change the rules of the new army recruitment scheme within 24 hours.

    ALSO READ: Agnipath protests spread to Telangana after Bihar and UP; trains and stations vandalised

    “This means that the plan has been imposed on the youth in a hurry,” she said. “Narendra Modi ji, please withdraw the scheme immediately,” she said in a tweet in Hindi and urged him to recruit people in the air force, which has been held back.

    “Make the army recruitment the same as before by giving relief in the age limit,” she said. The Congress has demanded that the short service recruitment in the armed forces under Agnipath scheme be kept in abeyance and wider consultations be held with experts before taking further action on it.

  • ‘Defence Minister is empowered to change provisions of Agniveer’: Source

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is empowered to make amendments or even change the provisions of the new recruiting scheme Agniveer which with time will be found not suitable.

    A source in the MoD said on Thursday, “The Defence Minister is empowered to make amendments or change the provisions of Agniveer to suit the requirements of the services.”

    The MoD will not be required to wait for Cabinet approval, which in most other cases is needed, the source added.

    There has been a major backlash on the new recruitment policy for the armed forces which the Cabinet on Tuesday approved. On the one hand former officers believe a study or a pilot project should have been done. And, it is going to make a large number of candidates ineligible since they would go overboard with conditions now that all new recruitments will be done through the Agnipath Scheme. Also, the terms of engagement stipulate a contractual induction getting over in four years.

    “In case the current provisions will be seen as not leading to the desired results, changes will be introduced, the officer quoted above said, and this may help both services and the candidates.

    In no case the number of Agniveers will be more than the 50 per cent of those under the permanent category.

    Under it around 46,000 youth between the ages of 17 and a half years and 21 years will be inducted into the Army, Navy and Air Force for a period of four years.

    One of the positives of the scheme, as per the MoD, is that this will make the age profile of the Units youthful.

    Under the old system, youth between 16 and half years and 21 years were selected for a minimum of 15 years of service and used to get a pension for serving this much. Under the new scheme, 100 per cent of the recruits will leave after four years and then around 25 per cent will be taken back from among them under a fresh process and will serve on a permanent basis. The eligible age will be in the range from 17.5 to 21 years.

    Enrolment will be undertaken through an online centralised system for all three services with specialised rallies and campus interviews from recognised technical institutes such as Industrial Training Institutes and National Skills Qualifications Framework, among others. Enrolment will be based on ‘All India All Class’ basis. Earlier recruitments were based on region as well as caste and used to serve in regiments like Dogra, Punjab, J&K, Rajput, Jat and Sikhs. 

    Agniveers will meet the medical eligibility conditions laid down for enrolment in the armed forces as applicable to respective categories/trades. The educational qualification for Agniveers will remain in vogue for enrollment in various categories. For example: For entry into General Duty (GD) soldier, the educational qualification is Class 10.

  • Agnipath scheme: Amidst protests, Government issues clarification to bust the Myths

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: As the violent protest against Agnipath, the new recruitment scheme for the Armed Forces, the government on Thursday issued a clarification on the Myths and Facts on Agnipath Program saying that the new scheme will not only open several avenues but will also bring financial support and also priority to join Central Armed Police Forces. 

    The clarification also touched upon the issues like operational effectiveness, regimental systems and the myth that the scheme was implemented without consultation with the serving armed forces officers.

    There will be a financial package of around Rs 11.71 lakh to be given to each of the recruits at the end of the four-year tenure from the ‘Seva Nidhi Package’, which will provide financial independence to the youths and even help them to venture into entrepreneurship.

    Under the new scheme, the Army is expected to induct around 40,000 soldiers, the Navy is expected to intake around 3,000 sailors and the IAF is set to recruit 3,000 airmen this year.  

    Myth: Future of Agniveers is insecure

    Facts: For those wishing to be entrepreneurs – they will get a financial package and bank loan scheme. For those wishing to study further- they will be given a 12 class equivalent certificate and bridging course for further studies.

    For those wishing to obtain jobs- they will be given priority in CAPFs and State Police. Several avenues are also being opened up for them in other sectors.

    Myth: Opportunities for youth will decrease as a result of Agnipath

    Facts: Opportunities for youth to serve in armed forces will increase. In the coming years, recruitment of Agniveers will be around triple of the current recruitment in the armed forces.

    Myth: Regimental bonding will be affected

    Facts: 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 unit.

    Myth: This will harm the effectiveness of the Armed Forces

    Facts: Such a short-term enlistment system exists in most countries and hence is already tested out and considered best practice for a youthful and agile army.

    The numbers of Agniveers to be recruited in the first year would only make up 3% of the armed forces.

    Additionally, the performance of the Agniveers will be tested before re-induction in the army after four years. Hence Army will get tested and tried personnel for supervisory ranks.

    Myth: 21-year-olds are immature and unreliable for the army

    Facts: Most armies across the world depend upon their youths.

    At no point of time will there be more youngsters than experienced people. The present scheme will only bring about a right mix of 50%-50%, slowly in the very long run, of youngsters and experienced supervisory ranks.

    Myth: Agniveers will be a danger to society & join terrorists

    Facts: This is an insult to the ethos and values of the Indian armed forces.

    Youngsters who have worn the uniform for four years will remain committed to the country for the rest of their lives.

    Even now thousands retire from armed forces with skills etc. but there have not been any instances of them joining anti-national forces.

    Myth: No Consultation for former armed forces officers

    Facts: Extensive consultations with serving armed forces officers for the last two years.

    The proposal has been framed by the Department of Military Officers staffed by Military officers. The department itself is a creation of this government.

    Many former officers have recognized the advantages of the scheme and welcomed it. 

  • BJP allies in Bihar demand withdrawal of ‘Agniapth’s scheme amid protests in state

    Express News Service

    PATNA: BJP allies in Bihar have demanded immediate withdrawal of ‘Agnipath’ or ‘Agniveer’ scheme launched by the central government for short-term recruitment of Army personnel across the country.

    Reacting to violent protest by job aspirants across the state over ‘Agnipath’ scheme, JD-U parliamentary board chairperson and former union minister Upendra Kushwaha said on Thursday that the union government should do a rethink on the scheme.

    Kushwaha further said, “The proposed changes in recruitment policy of Indian Army, Navy and Airforce should be reconsidered. The widespread protest not only in Bihar but in other parts of the country shows job aspirants’ angst against the scheme.”

    Earlier, JD-U minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav had also demanded the withdrawal of the proposed scheme. 

    “The students are protesting against ‘Agnipath’ scheme. In this case, the centre should talk to youths and their unions. The central government should also seek suggestions from people on the issue,” Yadav had said.

    HAM’s patron and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi also corroborated the statement of JD-U leaders. Manjhi said, “Agnipath scheme is very dangerous for the country. It should be withdrawn immediately. I appeal from PM Narendra Modi to withdraw the proposed scheme and restore the old policy of recruitment in the Indian Army.”

    On the other hand, RJD’s young wing has threatened to burn effigies of PM Narendra Modi and Defence minister Rajnath Singh over the ‘Agnipath’ scheme in the state on Friday. Bihar witnessed widespread protest against the scheme for the last two days.

    Meanwhile, BJP Rajya Sabha member and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi urged the Bihar government to adopt the central government’s ‘Agnipath’ policy in the recruitment process in the state. He appealed to protesting students not to indulge in damaging government property.

    He also condemned the attack on BJP MLA Aruna Devi in Nawada, on the house of another leader C N Gupta in Saran and vandalising of the offices of BJP in Nawada and Madhubani districts. 

    “The anti-socials have joined the protest. The authorities concerned should take action against them,” junior Modi asserted.

  • Govt rolls out ‘Agnipath’ scheme, unveils radical changes in military recruitment 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India unveiled a new scheme called “Agnipath” on Tuesday for the recruitment of soldiers in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, largely on a short-term contractual basis, with an aim to cut the ballooning salary and pensions bill.

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the new scheme at a media briefing, shortly after the Cabinet Committee on Security approved it.

    “The Agnipath recruitment scheme is a transformative initiative that will provide a youthful profile to the armed forces,” Singh said.

    The revolutionary changes in the recruitment process will see the induction of the soldiers initially for a period of four years and some of them would be retained.

    “Under the Agnipath scheme, Indian youngsters will be provided an opportunity to serve in the armed forces as ‘Agniveer’,” the defence minister said.

    Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said the scheme will ensure a wider talent pool for recruitment in the armed forces.  The “Agnipath” scheme, earlier christened as “Tour of Duty”, was launched in the presence of the chiefs of the three services.

    The new scheme was announced after extensive deliberations on it over the last two years. The soldiers to be recruited under the scheme will be called “Agniveer”.

    Currently, the Army recruits young people under the short service commission for an initial tenure of 10 years, which is extendable up to 14 years.

    The scheme is aimed at slashing the salary and pension bills of the three services, which have been increasing rapidly.

    The defence budget of Rs 5,25,166 crore for 2022-23 included Rs 1,19,696 crore for defence pensions. The allocation for revenue expenditure was Rs 2,33,000 crore. The revenue expenditure includes the expenses on payment of salaries and maintenance of establishments.