What is the Agneepath Army Scheme? Why Massive Protest?
The Union Cabinet approved the innovative ‘Agneepath Army Scheme’ on Tuesday, June 14th. The aim is to give Indian kids options by allowing them to serve in the armed forces. In layman’s terms, the Agneepath scheme is a youth recruitment programme for the armed forces.
Agneepath Army Scheme- Need of an Hour
The Agneepath Scheme is a four-year service act that will enlist young individuals in the Indian armed services. This strategy would entice a large number of Indian youth to join the forces. Furthermore, the government believes today’s youth are technology-savvy, skilled, motivated, smart, and disciplined persons who will serve in the country.
According to the administration, the military needs to become more technologically advanced. And this is the most effective way to raise the profile of younger troops in the military. The Army, Navy, and Air Force’s typical age profiles will be altered in the following years as a result of this strategy.
Who are Agniveers?
Agniveers will be the term given to the Indian patriotic youth who would be recruited through the Agneepath army scheme. For serving in the military forces for four years, these Agniveers will get a substantial monthly stipend. Risk and hardship allowances will also be provided. Within 90 days, 46,000 Agniveers will be recruited, according to the Ministry of Defense.
Benefits of Agniveers
1. People aged 17.5 to 21 will be enlisted as Agniveers in the forces (Army, Navy, and Air Force) for a period of four years. This year, around 46,000 Agniveers will be recruited.
2. They will be paid a salary of Rs 30,000 to 40,000 each month. During this time, the Agniveers would receive a non-contributory insurance cover of Rs. 48 lakh.
3. Agniveers must meet the same educational requirements as normal police officers. The forces will strive to grant a class 12 credential to a class 10 student who joins as an Agniveer if the requirements are met.
4. After a four-year competition, approximately 25% of the Agniveers will be recruited into the armed forces as regular cadres for a minimum of 15 years. The armed forces will assist the remaining persons in finding other employment opportunities.
5. On their exit, the Agniveers would be awarded a Seva Nidhi Package of Rs. 11.71 lakh, which will be tax-free. There will, but, be no pension benefits.
Agneepath Army Scheme: Eligibility Criteria
Enrollment for Agniveers is based on ‘All India All Class.’ In addition, the age range for eligibility has been stated. As a result, the candidate’s age should be between 17.5 and 21 years old. Candidates must meet the medical requirements for enlistment in the armed forces, as applicable to their categories.
Furthermore, the educational qualification requirements will vary by category. The educational requirement for General Duty (GD) is, for example, 10th Pass.
Terms and Conditions
The youngsters enlisted (Agniveers) through the Forces under different Service Acts for durations of four years under the Agneepath Army Scheme. In the armed forces, they will establish a new rank that will be distinct from the existing ranks. Following that, Agniveers will be given the option of permanent enlistment in the armed forces based on the armed services’ organisational needs and rules.
On the other hand, these applications will be judged on objective factors like performance throughout their engagement periods. Furthermore, up to 25% of each Agniveers’ separate batch will be picked for the regular armed forces cadre. However, 75% of Agniveers will receive the ‘Seva Nidhi’ package and will be released from their four-year commitment.
Furthermore, a centralised online system will handle the enrolment process for all three services. Technical institutes, the National Skills Qualifications Framework and others hold specialised rallies and campus interviews.
Massive Army Aspirants Protest
According to sources, defence candidates were enraged when the Agneepath Army Scheme was announced. As a result, the demonstration resulted in a massive loss of public property. Protests against it have been seen in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and other states. Many armed forces hopefuls, military veterans, and left-wing politicians are some of the protestors. They remarked that the new recruitment plan would impact India’s armed services’ future and spirit. They went on to say that it would result in civil society being militarised.
Why Are Armed Forces Protesting?
The following are the reasons for protesting the transformative scheme:
• They believe the Agniveers’ future is jeopardised after four years of duty.
• Aspirants would have less opportunities under this plan.
• They feel that the bonding between the military forces will be adversely affected due to the short term of engagement by youth.
• Protesters are concerned about the country’s safety. This plan will eventually lead to militarism.
• Finally, trained Agniveers may become involved in anti-national groups after four years.
On the other hand, the programme states all of Agniveers’ and Agneepath’s benefits. Here are the benefits of the Agneepath Army Scheme, which counteracts all protestor suspects.
Advantages of Agneepath Army Scheme
• The military’s game-changing plan or recruitment scheme.
• Expand the pool of opportunities for young people to serve their country. As a result, it assists in the strengthening of the armed forces.
• The army, navy, and air force’s average age profiles will improve. A more younger profile follows.
• Agniveers will receive reasonable remuneration and possibly financial assistance after four years.
• After completing the service periods, there are many options for re-employment. Furthermore, there is no financial risk. This approach has been thoroughly tested in countries like the United States, France, Russia, and others.
• Agniveers will be given first preference if they desire to work for the state police or the CAPFs.
Bottom Line
The new recruitment policy has many other benefits that make it transformative and radical. This will have a major impact on the country’s military. This project has a better opportunity of making the police more tech-savvy, modern, well-equipped, and disciplined.
