Agnipath: Protests over Indian army's new hiring plan intensify

About Agnipath scheme 

Agnipath Scheme also spelled Agneepath Scheme is a new scheme introduced by the Government of India on 14 June 2022, for recruitment of soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers into the three services of the armed forces. 

The Agnipath Scheme will be the only route for recruitment into the military. Personnel recruited under this system are to be called Agniveers (translate: Fire-Warriors), which will be a new military rank. The introduction of the scheme has been criticized for lack of consultation and public debate. The scheme is scheduled to be implemented from September 2022.

This scheme will bypass many things including long tenures, pension and other benefits which were there in old system. Opposition parties in India have criticized and expressed concerns about the consequences of the new scheme. They have asked the scheme to be put on hold and that the scheme be discussed in the Parliament.

Protests have intensified in India over a new reform scheme to hire soldiers for a fixed term for the armed forces.

 The demonstrations are particularly strong in the northern states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, whereprotesters have set trains on fire and blocked key highways, demanding a roll-back of the reforms.

Reports say the southern city of Secunderabad in Telangana state is also seeing violent protests - young men have stormed the local railway station and damaged trains and shops.

The "Agnipath" or Path of Fire programme, which was unveiled on Tuesday, is aimed at applicants aged between 17.5 and 21. Successful candidates will join the armed services for four years, after which only 25% of them will be retained.

In a bid to pacify protesters, the federal government announced late on Thursday night that - just for this year - candidates aged up to 23 years could apply under the scheme.

Recruitments have been stalled since the pandemic began, frustrating millions of desperate applicants who fear that they might soon be too old to apply for the defense forces.

Protest against 'Agnipath' turns violent in MP's Gwalior district

Hundreds of protesters on Thursday launched massive protest which soon turned violent in Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh against the Centre's 'Agnipath' recruitment scheme. Police had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse the mob.

Protesters went on a rampage, damaging and vandalizing public properties at Birla Nagar railway station in Gwalior. Protesters broke the windows of some trains, set things on fire, burnt tires and raised slogans against the Centre's new recruitment policy. Train movement was affected in North Central Railway's Jhansi division. The protesters blocked the movement of at least 6-7 trains by keeping wooden logs, tree branches and other railway properties on tracks.

They also resorted to violence on the main roads breaking window panes of buses and other vehicles.

Violence was also reported in the Gole ka Mandir area of Gwalior. Protesters created ruckus on busy roads damaging private vehicles. It stopped only after police reached the spot.

Agnipath scheme: Fierce protests in Bihar

Violent protests in Bihar and several other states over the Centre's Agnipath army recruitment scheme left vehicles vandalized and trains burnt on Thursday. Later in the day, the government addressed the concerns of the defense job seekers and clarified that the future of the recruits is stable and that the intake would go up in the future. The Centre also raised the entry age from 21 to 23 years for the Agnipath scheme in 2022. 

Agitated students had expressed concerns over their future after four years as only 25 per cent of the Agniveers would be retained and the rest could be relieved without benefits. Even after the Centre clarified myths from facts, fierce protests raged across Bihar and Uttar Pradesh on Day 2.

In Bihar, students indulged in stone-pelting, vandalized vehicles and set fire to trains. Following this, police arrested 16 protesters for vandalism, looting and arson at Ara railway station and booked 650 unidentified people.