Country needs future-ready fighting force as nature of warfare is changing: Army chief on Agnipath scheme

The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, provides for the recruitment of youths between the age bracket of 17-and-a-half-years to 21 for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. Protests have erupted in several states against the scheme. Later, the government extended the upper age limit to 23 years for recruitment in 2022. Several states across the country have been witnessing violent protests since the scheme was announced by the Centre, with youth hitting the streets, torching vehicles and trains and blocking and damaging railway tracks to express their dissatisfaction.

TN National Desk

Updated Jun 21, 2022, 17:04 IST

New Delhi: Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande on Tuesday said that the new military recruitment scheme 'Agnipath' will help build a more enhanced youthful profile of the armed forces, stressing that the country needs a future-ready fighting force, owing to changing nature of warfare.

Speaking at Times Now’s Frankly Speaking, the Army chief said, “A fit and young soldier is required for challenging operational environment. Army needs youth, but we are conscious that we also need experience. So we will strike a good balance between youth and experience.

He also underlined that country needs technologically-adapt youth who are easily able to imbibe technology and give a good account of themselves.

“Nature of warfare is changing and is becoming increasingly multi-domain and becoming increasingly evolving in different aspects of warfare, be it cyber, space, information warfare. There are new technological infusions in terms of recruitment and systems. So we need to leverage this technology to come up with a future-ready fighting force… So age is one aspect, second is technologically-adapt youth and third is to provide equal and good opportunity for all the youth who want to join the armed forces,” General Pande said.

He also noted that different ministries, agencies and state governments have announced reservations for Agniveers, asserting that nearly 100 per cent Agniveers in some way or other will do find placement of their choice.

The Army chief said that he believes that the concerns of youth protesting against the scheme have now been addressed.

“The scheme was announced on June 14. It only had the outline. Features of the scheme were announced in the following days. I don't think our youngsters have any apprehensions anymore and their concerns have been addressed, I feel,” he said.

“After four years, they will be adequately equipped with the qualifications to pursue their career dreams. We expect them to act as a bridge between Army and the society,” he added.

Unveiled on June 14, the Agnipath scheme, provides for the recruitment of youth between the age group of 17-and-a-half-years to 21 for only four years on a contractual basis with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years.

Later, the government extended the upper age limit to 23 years for recruitment in 2022 as the protests across the country escalated. Youth who will be recruited under the scheme will be called Agniveer.

Several states across the country have been witnessing violent protests since the scheme was announced by the Centre, with youth hitting the streets, torching vehicles and trains and blocking and damaging railway tracks to express their dissatisfaction.

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