Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Highlights
- The Modi govt has come under fire with youth protesting against the new military recruitment scheme
- Agnipath scheme provides for recruitment of youths in age bracket of 17-and-half to 21 yrs for 4 yrs
- The scheme has a provision to retain 25 per cent of Agniveers for 15 more years
Agnipath protest: Amid violence over the 'Agnipath' scheme, Prime Minister Narendra has said that it is the country's 'misfortune' that good intentions get trapped in partisan politics. PM Modi made this remark on Sunday after inaugurating the Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor in Delhi.
“It is the misfortune of our country that many schemes, launched for good purpose, get entangled in partisan politics. Media also gets dragged into it due to its TRP compulsions and then it acquires a life of its own," he said without making direct reference to the scheme.
PM Modi's remark comes amid nationwide protests against the just launched new military recruitment scheme 'Agnipath'. The personnel to be recruited under the new scheme will be known as 'Agniveers'.
The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, provides for the recruitment of 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. Later, the government extended the upper age limit to 23 years for recruitment in 2022 and announced quotas in different departments for ex-servicemen.
As per the announcement, there will be a 10 per cent quota in Defence Ministry jobs, spread across the Coast Guard and defence civilian posts, and all the 16 defence public sector undertakings. This reservation would be in addition to the existing reservations for ex-servicemen. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also decided to reserve 10% vacancies for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles for Agniveers.
The BJP-led government has come under fire with youth protesting mainly against the shorter tenure of jobs in the armed forces. Massive protests have erupted in many states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, with youths resorting to vandalism and destroying public properties like trains, buses and more. At several places, BJP offices were also ransacked by the protesters.
Meanwhile, a PTI report cited a top military official saying that anyone involved in protests, arson and vandalism against the 'Agnipath' scheme would not be allowed to join the three services under the new recruitment model.
READ MORE: Agnipath protest: Industrialist Anand Mahindra promises to recruit Agniveers
