The three service chiefs are set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow to brief him on the 'Agnipath' recruitment scheme. The scheme, since its announcement on June 14, has faced strong protests.
The army today said the induction of soldiers under the Agnipath scheme will begin next month. The personnel to be recruited under the new scheme will be known as 'Agniveers'.
The Prime Minister, without directly mentioning the scheme or the protests, on Sunday said, "It is our country's misfortune that many good things brought with good intentions get trapped in political colours. Media also gets dragged into it due to its TRP compulsions."
A day later in Bengaluru, PM Modi again said some decisions "may look unfair" at first, but will help in nation-building later.
Several opposition parties, including the Congress, have dubbed "Agnipath" the latest blunder of the government, part of a series that includes demonetisation and the farm laws. Many of the critics have predicted a rollback.
The military has declared that this was a long-awaited change in tune with the global trend that is increasingly focussed on the use of cutting-edge technology in warfare and a younger age profile for soldiers. The government has ruled out a rollback.
The Agnipath scheme provides for the recruitment of youths between the ages of 17-and-half years to 21 for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them, while the rest would retire without gratuity and pension benefits. The government has extended the upper age limit to 23 years for recruitment in 2022.
A scheme will bring down the average age of military personnel and cut ballooning salary and pension bills.
Listing out the benefits of the scheme, the government has said it is a "transformative reform of recruitment policy" of the armed forces and a unique opportunity for the youth to serve the country and contribute to nation-building.
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