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BIG STORY JUNE 24, 2022 | The Indian Eye 4

AGNIPATH FOR MILITARY

FIERY PROTESTS

The Indian government goes into damage control mode as violent protests over the new recruitment
scheme shake the country. Is it a sign of warning over India’s unemployment crisis?

OUR BUREAU
Patna/New Delhi/Lucknow
s a major announcement, Ag-
nipath Scheme was launched
Aby the government on June 14
in an effort to bring a change in the
recruitment process of the Armed
Forces. But just in two days, with
the new military recruitment scheme
facing a backlash by Opposition, the
Centre has decided to bring a change
in the upper age limit for recruiting
Agniveers. Granting a one-time waiv-
er, the Centre on June 16 announced
that the Agniveer upper age limit for
recruitments via Agnipath Scheme
has been extended to 23 years from
21 years.
However, the scheme did not go
down well with the youth waiting for Flames and smoke billow out of the Farakka Express Train after it was set on fire by the protesters at Danapur Railway Station,
the resumption of the military recruit- in Danapur on Friday. (ANI Photo)
ment for the last two years and polit-
ical parties too extended support to
the protesters demanding immediate should give ‘Agniveers’ 20-30 per cent were suspended in Fardiabad’s Bal- the meeting is likely to take place be-
withdrawal of the scheme. Notably, reservation in other jobs once they are labhgarh for 24 hours. fore the monsoon session. A total of
COVID-19 halted the Army’s recruit- out of service after four years under Meanwhile, unhappy members twenty-four members of Lok Sabha
ment for over two years. In 2019-2020, the ‘Agnipath’ scheme”, said a pro- of Parliament consultative commit- and Rajya Sabha are members of the
the Army recruited jawans and there tester. tee for defence, reacting over the Member of Parliament Défense Advi-
has been no entry since then. On the Amid violent protests in states nationwide violence on the Agnipath sory Committee.
other hand, the Indian Navy and the like Bihar, UP, Uttarakhand, Telan- scheme said that the recruitment Taking to social media Telangana
Indian Air Force had both recruited gana and Haryana, a Student Union scheme is an “ill-conceived move by Minister for IT and Industries K T
in the last two years respectively. in Delhi on Friday protested against Central Government.” Rama Rao on Friday called the vio-
Nationwide protests against the the Agnipath scheme demanding the Notably, the members of the lent protests against Agnipath scheme
Agnipath Scheme continue and sev- withdrawal of the same. All India Stu- Defence Consultative Committee es- an “eye opener” and an indicator of
eral railway bogies were burnt as a dents’ Association staged a protest pecially the All India Trinamool Con- “unemployment crisis” across the
mark of protest. against the Agnipath scheme in Del- gress (AITC) raised concern over the country.
Violent protest over the Central hi following which the Delhi Metro Agnipath scheme “Agneepath is an “The violent protests against
government’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme for Rail Corporation (DMRC) shut some ill-conceived move and we will take #AgniveerScheme is an eye-opener
recruitment in armed forces contin- gates of ITO station, Dhansa Bus up the matter in Défense Advisory and acute indicator of the magnitude
ued across Bihar on Thursday with Stand Metro station and Jama Masjid Committee meeting before the up- of the unemployment crisis in the
hundreds of aspirants disrupting rail Metro station for some time. coming Parliament session,” commit- country,” he tweeted. “Pehle Desh
and road traffic while police fired tear In view of the developments, Del- tee member Saugata Roy told ANI. ke Kisan Ke Saath khilvaadd’ Aur Ab
gas shells to disperse them. hi Police said that the law and order Another TMC MP and floor leader Desh ke Jawan Ke Saath khilvaadd’
On Wednesday also, aspirants in the capital city will be maintained of the party in Lok Sabha Sudip Ban- (First they messed with the country’s
staged protests at Muzaffarpur, Be- under all circumstances. The Guru- dopadhyay also clarified the party’s farmer, and now with the soldier).
gusarai and Buxar districts over the gram authorities on Friday imposed stand and said, “We will take up the From One Rank - One Pension to
scheme, disrupting road and rail traf- Section 144 in the district barring Agnipath issue in the upcoming meet- proposed No Rank - No Pension!”
fic movement. The recruitment of the gathering of more than four per- ing with Rajnath Singh at an appro- the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS)
‘Agniveers’ would begin in the next sons as a pre-emptive measure. After priate forum.” minister added in the tweet.
90 days and the first batch will be Thursday’s protests in Haryana’s Pal- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh KTR’s remarks came after the
ready by July 2023. “The government wal, mobile internet and SMS services is the chairman of the committee and Continued at next page... >>

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