Agnipath: Tamil Nadu Guv slams 'hostile forces' of India; 'They don't want nation to rise'

Amid the ongoing protests against the Centre's new military recruitment scheme 'Agnipath', Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has alleged that there are hostile forces in the country that are stopping the progress of the nation. Furthermore, the Tamil Nadu Governor labelled the Agnipath scheme as a transformative initiative and said that it is being purposely interpreted in a negative way in order to instigate the youth of the nation. He went on to allege that every move of the incumbent BJP-led NDA government is being opposed by these hostile forces.

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi said, "There are hostile forces that are trying to weaken our progress. They don't want this country to rise. Every good move of govt is interpreted in a negative way & our youth are being instigated. Agnipath scheme is revolutionary and transformative for our youth."

Protests against Agnipath scheme

A series of violent protests over the Agnipath scheme raged across the country. Specifically in Bihar, there has been a loss of around Rs 200 crore. In the northern state of Bihar itself, around 50 train coaches and five engines were torched and burnt completely. The Bihar police has so far filed 90 FIRs and around 300 people have been arrested. 

Prabhat Kumar, the divisional manager for the Danapur Rail Division in Patna, Bihar, told the news agency that platforms, computers, and different technical elements had been destroyed and that several trains had been cancelled. Hundreds of protesters went on a rampage for the third day in a row on June 17, vandalising multiple trains and demonstrating at railway stations, calling for the Army recruitment model to be scrapped.

Centre provides relaxation for aspirants

The 10% reservation programme for Agniveers in CAPFs and Assam Rifles, proposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has been accepted by the Defence Ministry, that is led by Union Minister Rajnath Singh. The Agniveers will be eligible for jobs in Indian Coast Guard and Defence civilian postings, as well as all 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings.

The MHA has announced a three-year age relaxation for CAPFs and Assam Rifles recruits. The administration has lifted the upper age limit for the second time. The MHA also stated that the government will offer the first batch of Agniveers a five-year age relaxation.

A day ago, the central government had increased the upper age limit for the qualification Agnipath scheme. Notably, this was a one-time waiver and the age limit was increased from 21 years to 23 years.

Agnipath scheme

The Indian government announced a new programme named 'Agnipath' on June 14 to recruit 45,000 personnel for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, mostly on a short-term contract basis. The troops who will be recruited as part of the initiative will be known as 'Agniveer.' Both men and women can become 'Agniveers.' The highest age restriction was formerly established at 17.5 to 21 years, but because there had been no military recruiting in the previous two years, the government lifted the upper age limit to 23 years in a one-time waiver. The initial annual package would be Rs 4.76 lakh, with the possibility of increasing it to Rs 6.92 lakh by the completion of the service.

Soldiers who want to be entrepreneurs will be given a financial package and a bank loan plan after serving in the Army for four years, according to the Centre. Those who want to continue their study will be granted a certificate comparable to a class 12 diploma and a bridging course, while those who want to work will be given precedence in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and state police. 

Image: PTI, Twitter/@indfoundation