While stepping up its attack on the Union government over the “Agneepath” military recruitment scheme, Congress President Malikaarjun Kharge wrote to President Droupdi Murmu on Monday that “gross injustice” was done to youngsters and asserted that it would revert to the old recruitment scheme if voted to power at the Centre.
Congress is fiercely opposing the scheme
The Congress party has consistently opposed the Agneepath scheme, and it is now openly engaging in the electoral battleground with this issue.
In his letter to the President, who serves as the supreme commander of the Indian armed forces, Congress President Kharge expressed concern that the future of nearly two lakh young men and women has become uncertain due to the scrapping of the regular recruitment process in the armed forces.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi also criticized the government on this scheme during a rally in Patna, stating that Agniveers
are akin to contract workers who could be terminated at any time and would not receive any respect.
Sachin Pilot of the Congress party echoed this sentiment, expressing that in the long term, the scheme would only serve to save money for the government without benefiting anyone else. He emphasized the need to return to the old recruitment system, adding that while modernizing the armed forces is necessary, completely abandoning the old system is not justified.
With key leaders of the Congress opposing the scheme, it appears that the party is now addressing the issues of youth and employment. Time will reveal whether the youth will give Congress the opportunity to abolish the Agneepath scheme.
Understanding the Agneepath scheme
The AGNEEPATH scheme is about recruiting Indian youth into the Armed Forces. Those selected will be called
Agniveers and can serve the nation for 4 years. It’s a chance for young people to join the Indian Armed Forces through a special entry point. The scheme is for people aged between 17 and a half to 21 years for a four-year term, with an option to extend 25% of them for 15 more years. Recruits will start with a salary of Rs 30,000, which will increase to Rs 40,000 after four years of service, along with other benefits.
Upon completion of their service, they will receive a one-time Seva Nidhi offering financial and professional benefits. After the four-year term, each soldier will receive a tax-free lump sum of Rs 11.71 lakh. For the 25% of soldiers who are re-selected, the initial four-year period will not be counted towards retirement benefits.
The primary drawbacks of this scheme include the extended period of 7-8 years required to adequately train a
soldier for combat, potentially undermining military culture, professionalism, and combat readiness.
Agniveers may also exhibit caution, with many seeking secondary employment opportunities. Consequently, a significant portion of Agniveers may actively pursue second jobs after completing their initial four-year service, which could contribute to increased unemployment rates in the nation. Additionally, there is a risk of societal militarization and an annual influx of 35,000 adolescents with war experience into the civilian job market.
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