Amid nationwide protests against the new model of enrolment of soldiers, the Center today raised the age limit for the ‘Agneepath’ military recruitment scheme from 21 to 23. The government said in a release that this decision has been taken as no recruitment has taken place in the last two years.
“Keeping in view the fact that recruitment has not been possible during the last two years, the government has decided that one-time relaxation will be given for the proposed recruitment cycle for 2022,” the government said.
The upper age limit for the recruitment process under the Agneepath scheme has been increased to 23 years for 2022, the statement said.
Violence erupted on Tuesday after the government’s announcement overhaul of recruitment For India’s 1.38 million armed forces, who are looking to reduce the average age of personnel and reduce pension expenditure. The protests have spread to 10 states including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Delhi.
The new system assured men and women aged 17-and-a-half to four-year terms, with only a quarter being kept for longer terms.
The BJP has come under fire for hundreds of potential recruits protesting against the short tenure.
The government has started a public relations campaign. In a series of tweets, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting posted facts related to the Agneepath schemes in the public domain. A detailed document titled “Myth Vs Facts”, which seeks to “dispel misconceptions”, was also shared by government sources.
The government has also given a 10-point defense to the scheme and assured the recruits that they will not find themselves in trouble after completing their four years in the army.