The Agnipath scheme is a short-term recruitment policy for Indian youths to serve in the armed forces. The scheme was revealed on June 14 and will be implemented from September 2022.
Agnipath aims to allow people aged 17 and a half to 21 to join the armed forces for four years. In a one-time waiver, the government increased the upper limit of the Agnipath scheme to 23 years.
After the four-year service, only 25 percent of the soldiers will be retained and the remaining 75 percent will be relieved without pension benefits and will receive a financial package of Rs 11.71 lakhs.
Salary Breakdown Under Agnipath Scheme
During the first year of service, soldiers will receive a salary of Rs 30,000 per month. 30 percent of the salary, Rs 9,000 will be deducted monthly and will go to the Agniveer Corpus Fund. After the deduction, the soldiers will receive Rs 21,000 per month.
In the second year, soldiers will have a monthly salary of Rs 33,000 and will keep Rs 23,100 in hand. In the third year, the monthly salary will be of Rs 36,500 and the soldiers will keep Rs 25,580. In the fourth and final year, soldiers will have a monthly salary of 40,000 and will keep Rs 28,000.
The soldiers will receive Rs 11.71 lakhs in total during the four-year period.
Protests Against Agnipath Scheme
Protests against the Agnipath scheme erupted after its announcement and armed forces aspirants disrupted rail and road traffic. After protests turned violent, trains were ransacked and burnt. Till now, 38 trains have been cancelled, 11 trains have been partially cancelled, and 72 trains are running late due to the protests.
The house of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi was attacked by protesters.
Internet and text messaging in Palwal, Haryana, was suspended for 24 hours and Section 144 was imposed after protesters set fire to vehicles and pelted police officers with stones.
The upper age limit for the recruitment in Agnipath was increased to 23 years after the protests. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stated that the Agnipath scheme should be withdrawn with immediate effect. Gandhi referenced how the government had to alter the rules of the scheme and said that it was being imposed on the youth in a hurry. She asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the scheme.
Why Are Aspirants Protesting Against The Agnipath Scheme?
Aspirants are concerned about the future of the soldiers who will not be retained after four years of service. 20-year-old Debojit Bora from Assam spoke to BBC about his concerns. Bora said “Now we will get a chance to work for only four years. So, even if I get selected, I will be retired from the job. What will I do after that?”
Some protestors demanded that the old method of recruiting aspirants to the armed forces be reinstated. Others demanded a reservation in jobs at the end of the four-year service period. One group of protesters that assembled at Nangloi railway station claimed the Delhi police that they had applied for government examinations two to three years ago but the exams were never held. Now, the aspirants were over the age limit.
Military Experts On The Agnipath Scheme
Former Director-General of Military Operations Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia said “we should go slow and think over the apprehensions and treat this as a pilot project”. Bhatia said if recruits are only guaranteed four years of service, then “Why would they take a risk?” He believes that inducting and retaining the quality of manpower will be the biggest challenge.
Another concern is about the quality of training and experience that soldiers will receive within a four-year period. Former ADG Border Security Force Sanjiv Sood said that a soldier would train for six months and their total services available will be for three years. Sood said, “Three years is not long enough time for them to mature and to take the kind of plunge that army soldiers are required to do.”
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