Agnipath scheme: No provision of pension, health benefits has youth riled up

The central government extended the maximum age limit for recruitment under the Agnipath scheme from 21 years to 23 years only this year after witnessing violent protests across the country.

The reason for this eruption of public sentiments is attributed to the absence of pension or health benefits that regular armed forces personnel receive.

NDA ally JD(U) also called for a review of the scheme which is designed as a short-term recruitment policy for the military.

वर्कर्स यूनिटी को सपोर्ट करने के लिए सब्स्क्रिप्शन ज़रूर लें- यहां क्लिक करें

This comes as no recruitment has been done by the armed forces in the last two years owing to the COVID pandemic.

As the scheme was rolled out amid soaring unemployment, youth preparing for recruitment all this time were agitated after coming to know that social security and health benefits had been scrapped.

As per the scheme rolled out on Tuesday, after the temporary stint of four years, only 25% of candidates would be retained while the rest would be given retirement.

Age bar raised but seats remain fixed

Each year around 45,000 recruits will be taken in total, for which the age bracket was decided as 17.5 years to 21 years.

Youth who started preparing for the exams before the pandemic has already lost two years.

To placate them, the maximum age limit was increased from 21 years to 23 years.

The total number of recruitments, however, still stands the same.

This implies that now the number of applicants will rise as people up to the age of 23 would apply instead of just 21 but the total number of seats they are fighting for remains the same.

This would only stiffen the competition instead of easing the pressure on struggling youth.

As per a report by Indian Express, officials say that the scheme would “open up avenues in the private sector and help the young men become entrepreneurs with the aid of a financial package”.

Many people see this as a move by the Modi government to privatise the military.

The scheme also allows women to apply.

Vehement protests against the scheme

Violent protests erupted across the country, especially in Bihar, UP, Gurgaon and Hyderabad since the scheme was announced.

Section 144 was imposed in Gurgaon on Friday to avoid the gathering of people.

People came out and blocked roads to garner attention towards their plight.

Angry youth torched empty train bogies, buses and vehicles.

The BJP office in Madhepura, Bihar was set ablaze.

Meanwhile, a slander campaign has been unleashed against those who are opposing the scheme.

BJP IT Cell has been branding left organisations as perpetrators for fuelling violence and “misguiding” youth.

(वर्कर्स यूनिटी के फ़ेसबुक, ट्विटर और यूट्यूब को फॉलो कर सकते हैं। टेलीग्राम चैनल को सब्सक्राइब करने के लिए यहां क्लिक करें। मोबाइल पर सीधे और आसानी से पढ़ने के लिए ऐप डाउनलोड करें।)