Manohar Lal Khattar, the chief minister of Haryana, promised “Agniveers” government jobs after four years of service. I declare that everyone (the Agniveers) who want to work for the Haryana government will be provided with a job guarantee. There won’t be any joblessness. In the midst of the continuing demonstrations against the new policy for military recruiting, the three service chiefs separately met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and told him about their intention to implement the Agnipath scheme and related difficulties. General Manoj Pande of the Army, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari of the Air Force, and Admiral R. Hari Kumar of the Navy are said to have informed Modi on the overall induction process and the steps being taken by them for a successful rollout.
The Center has vigorously defended the programme, claiming that the “transformative reform” strategy for armed forces recruitment will give young people a chance to serve their country. The discussions between the prime minister and the service chiefs were scheduled hours after the three services said that the Agnipath initiative would not alter the way soldiers are currently recruited or have any impact on their level of operational preparedness.
The programme, which was unveiled on June 14, aims to enlist young people between the ages of 17 and a half and 21 for a four-year stint, with an option to keep 25% of them on board for an additional 15 years. The maximum age has been raised to 23 years old for 2022. No modifications will be made to the hiring procedure. The same will happen as it did five years ago and in the past, according to Lieutenant General Anil Puri, Additional Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs of the defence ministry. He claimed that the programme is being implemented so that the armed forces can attract the brightest talent and that recruits who sign up under it will be eligible for heroism awards.
Top representatives from the three services presented a comprehensive recruitment programme during the briefing, stating that, despite the shortened training term for the “Agniveers”, the training’s quality will not be compromised. The Indian Air Force’s combat prowess and readiness cannot be negotiated. Air Marshal S K Jha, the Air Officer-in-Charge of Personnel, stated that the Indian Air Force and the government would take all necessary steps to maintain our combat readiness.
The Navy’s recruitment calendar was set for June 25, according to Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, but it will now begin on June 22. Beginning on July 1, registration is available online. The Agnipath plan, according to Lt Gen. Puri, will strengthen the armed forces. Air Marshal Jha stated that the IAF’s induction, entry-level qualification, examination curriculum, and medical criteria for recruits under the Agnipath initiative had not changed. The Indian Air Force will only accept new members through Agniveer Vayu, he continued.
