The government on Wednesday announced a series of post-retirement employment opportunities for ‘Agniveer’, such as priority in the recruitment of the central paramilitary forces, but protests erupted in Bihar over the ‘Agnipath’ plan which provides for the recruitment of soldiers for a short period of time. period of four years and retirement of most without pension. Army aspirants disrupted rail and road traffic in several parts of the state, including in Buxar district, where more than 100 young men stormed the train station and squatted on the tracks, disrupting the onward journey of the Janshatabdi Express, which is bound for Patna. went, almost 30 minutes was blocked.
The Center’s announcement also failed to allay concerns from the opposition Congress, which warned that the “transformative” “Agnipath” plan will reduce the armed forces’ operational effectiveness. The main opposition party had expressed serious concerns a day earlier about the future of these soldiers, most of whom are retiring quite young after a short term of service of just four years. The government on Tuesday unveiled a plan that will overhaul the decades-old selection process to bring in fitter and younger troops to tackle the future security challenges the country faces.
Read also| LIVE: Anti-Agnipath movement ramps up, protesters block road and train traffic in Bihar, bogie on fire
This year, approximately 46,000 soldiers between the ages of 17 and a half and 21 will be recruited into the Army, Navy and Air Force. Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah tweeted on Wednesday: ‘Agnipath’ is a visionary and welcome decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a bright future for the country’s youth.
“In this context, the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided today to give priority to Agniveer who have worked under this scheme for four years in the recruitment of CAPFs and Assam Rifles,” the HMO India tweeted. “Detailed planning of this decision has begun,” it tweeted.
The top ministers of BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Haryana also pledged preference for retired Agniveers in state police recruitment. However, several places in Bihar were on the verge of settlement. Reports came in of protesters throwing stones at Pataliputra Express, which passed through Buxar station, but there was no official confirmation.
In the city of Muzaffarpur, a large number of army aspirants vented their anger by placing burning tires on the roads around the vast Chakkar Maidan. Some said they were annoyed when they learned of the new plan that came after two years without military recruitment, despite passing the required physical tests. Police used batons to break up the protest.
In Begusarai, the army’s aspirants, many of them NCC cadets, staged a demonstration in the Mahadev Chowk, where they carried a huge poster asking to withdraw the new defense reform initiative. A combative congress attacked the government, with party leader Rahul Gandhi warning that ‘Agnipath’ will diminish the operational effectiveness of the armed forces, whose dignity and bravery must not be compromised.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also lashed out at the government, asking why it made military recruitment its “laboratory”. “When India is threatened on two fronts, the unsolicited Agnipath plan reduces the operational effectiveness of our armed forces. The BJP government must stop endangering the dignity, traditions, courage and discipline of our armed forces,” Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter.
Vadra said there was no serious thought or deliberation prior to announcing the plan. “Why does the BJP government make recruitment into the armed forces its laboratory? Does the government consider the long service of soldiers a burden? The youngsters say this 4-year rule is a hoax. Our ex-servicemen also disagree. No discussion, no serious thinking about the sensitive issue of army recruitment. Just arbitrariness,” she said. The main opposition party had expressed concerns on Tuesday about the young people’s future once they complete the four-year contractual service under the scheme.
“How will these young people build their future after four years, between 22 and 25 years old, without additional qualifications? Isn’t it correct that when a regular soldier also returns home after 15 years of service, he usually only gets a job as a guard or security guard at a bank? So what will this 23 to 25-year-old boy do after four years of employment?” Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala had asked. “Will his life not be in a limbo and will he be drawn to a wrong path in search of sustenance and a good life? Will the Modi administration respond to these concerns,” he had said, expressing his party’s dismay at the plan.
Mindful of concerns about Agniveer’s future career prospects, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has decided to launch a dedicated three-year skills-based undergraduate program for them. The degree offered by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will be recognized for employment and education both in India and abroad, a MoE official said.
The Army, Navy and Air Force will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IGNOU to implement the scheme. “The degree program will recognize further training received by Agniveer as credits toward graduation and will provide them with opportunities to pursue a civilian career of their choice,” the MoE official said.
Meanwhile, a day after the government unveiled the plan, the military said it will recruit 40,000 soldiers in the coming months. “The Indian Army will recruit 25,000 ‘Agniveer’ in the next 180 days and the recruitment process of the remaining 15,000 will begin a month after that,” Deputy Chief of Staff Lieutenant General BS Raju told PTI. He said the recruitment campaign will be conducted in all 773 districts across the country.
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