Armed Forces can't be employment guarantee programme: Congress' Manish Tewari on Agnipath

Congress leader Manish Tewari on Thursday said that he empathises with youth who have concerns about the government's recently inytroducted recruitment scheme 'Agnipath' but asserted that India needs a younger Armed Forces. However, he stated that the Armed Forces should not be an employment guarantee programme.

"I do empathise with youth who have concerns over Agnipath Recruitment Process. Reality is India needs a younger armed force with lighter human footprint savvy on technology, equipped with state of art weaponry. Armed forces of Union shouldn’t be an employment guarantee programme," Tewari tweeted.

The central government on Tuesday unveiled the Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of soldiers for three services - the Army, the Navy and the Air Force - on a four-year contract.

Under the scheme, youngsters aged between 17.5 and 21 years will be inducted into the three services. After the maturation of the four-year term, upto 25 percent of recruits could be retained for regular services.

The recruits would get a corpus fund upon the completion of their 4-year service but would not be privileged to post-retirement benefits such as pension, unlike regular soldiers.

Agnipath: Violence, arson in states; govt defends scheme, faces opposition ire

Trains were set ablaze and blocked, and public vehicles were attacked as protests over the 'Agnipath' scheme were witnessed across Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

In Bihar, trains were set ablaze at Bhabhua and Chhapra stations, and window panels of buses were smashed. In Bihar, BJP MLA Aruna Devi was also attacked by protesters, leaving her injured.

As violent protests fumed in multiple states, the Centre issued a clarification, asserting that the new model will not only bring in renewed capabilities to the Armed Forces but also open up routes for youth in the private sector and assist them to become entrepreneurs with the aid of the severance package they will be entitled to.