By Online Desk
NEW DELHI: Amid protests and agitations in opposition to the newly-launched Agnipath recruitment scheme for the navy, Lt Gen Anil Puri, Additional Secretary, Dept of Military Affairs, on June 19 clarified the scheme will likely be applied and there’s no query of a rollback. He additionally clarified that every one recruitment will likely be by way of the Agnipath scheme solely.
Lt Gen Puri was addressing a joint navy briefing on the Agnipath recruitment scheme with Air Marshal SK Jha, Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, and LG C Bansi Ponnappa.
He additionally acknowledged that the Agniveers would get the identical allowance in areas like Siachen and different areas that are relevant to the common troopers serving at current. “No discrimination against them in service conditions,” he added.
“Coming to the rollback of the scheme. Why should it be rolled back? It is the only progressive step to making the country young. Why is it being made young? We are tinkering with Desh ki Raksha (national security). There is no space. I will give you an example. Do you know how many casualties are reported just for health purposes from high-altitude areas? Do read about it, then you would come to know why being (sic) young is important,” the officer mentioned.
Calling this reform ‘long-pending’, Lt Gen Puri mentioned, “We want a mix of josh and hosh and that is why we wanted to reduce the age profile. The average age is 32 years at present and we want to reduce it as per the recommendations of the Kargil review committee and Arun Singh committee report,” Lt Gen Puri mentioned.
Referring to the provisions of reservations in numerous ministries, Lt Gen Puri mentioned that bulletins have been pre-planned and never in response to the arson and agitation which happened after the Agnipath scheme announcement. He additionally clarified that every one recruitment will likely be by way of the Agnipath scheme solely.
He mentioned round 17,600 individuals from the three companies are taking untimely retirement from the three companies yearly. “No one ever tried to ask them what they will do after retirement,” he acknowledged.
On the protests and acts of violence occurring throughout the nation, Lt General Puri mentioned, “Indian Army’s foundation is discipline. No space for arson, vandalism. Every individual will have to take a pledge that they were not part of protests or vandalism”. He mentioned that the person in opposition to whom an FIR is lodged wouldn’t be allowed to hitch the forces. All candidates should give a written pledge that they didn’t bask in any arson/violence, he added.
Implementation plans introduced
“Registration process for the first batch of Agniveers will start from June 24 and from July 24, phase 1 online examination process will begin”, mentioned Air Marshal Jha. He knowledgeable that the primary batch could be enrolled by December and coaching would begin by December 30.
Talking in regards to the recruitment course of in Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi mentioned the primary batch of naval Agniveers will begin reaching the coaching institution INS Chilka in Odisha from November 21. He additionally made clear that each men and women will likely be recruited by way of the Agnipath scheme.
“The Indian Navy has 30 women officers at present sailing on different Indian Navy ships. We have decided that under the Agnipath scheme, we will recruit women also. They will be deployed on warships,” the Navy official added.
“By December, we will get the first batch of 25,000 Agniveers and the second batch would be inducted around February 2023 making it 40,000,” mentioned Lt Gen Bansi Ponappa.
Lt Gen Puri that the Centre will begin with the recruitment of 46,000 Army aspirants to ‘analyse’ the scheme. “In next 4 to 5 years, our intake (of soldiers) will be 50,000-60,000 and will increase to 90,000 to 1 lakh subsequently. We’ve started small at 46,000 to analyse the scheme… and to build up infra capacity,” he mentioned.
“Our consumption of ‘Agniveers’ will go as much as 1.25 lakhs in close to future and won’t stay at 46,000 which is the current determine”, the officer added.
READ HERE | Agnipath: All it is advisable find out about Army recruitment scheme that has India on the boil
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
