SKM to launch nationwide campaign against Agnipath scheme today

The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, seeks to recruit youths in the age bracket of 17-and-half and 21 for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. For 2022, the upper age limit has been extended to 23 years.

TN National Desk

Updated Aug 6, 2022, 23:12 IST

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Photo : ANI

New Delhi: Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organisation of farmer unions, will launch a nationwide campaign today against the Agnipath recruitment scheme recently rolled out by the Central government. United Front of ex-Servicemen and various youth organisations are expected to join the agitation.

The farmers' body maintains that the scheme is a serious setback to the farming families whose youths have been part of the Indian armed forces.

The Agnipath scheme has "put to an end the tried and tested method of regular, permanent recruitment to the armed forces. It would mean a drastic reduction in the size of the armed forces from the present sanctioned strength of 14 lakh to merely seven lakh," the SKM said in a statement.

"This is a serious setback to farming families who have contributed to the nation by sending their youths to the armed forces.

Talking about its protest, the farmers body said, "The campaign demands that the pending vacancies (about 1.25 lakh) and the current year vacancies (about 60,000) should be filled immediately following the pre-existing method of regular and permanent recruitment."

"The recruitment process already initiated must be completed with age-relaxation of two years in lieu of non-recruitment during the last two years."

"All cases against anti-Agnipath protesters must be withdrawn and the arrested youth must be released forthwith. There should be no privatisation in the defence sector, the government must accept its responsibility for national security and protection of the honour and morale of armed forces," the statement said.

Under the Agnipath scheme, the three services are planning to recruit 46,000 soldiers this year. The youths who will be recruited under the new scheme will be called 'Agniveers'. A major objective of the scheme is to bring down the average age of military personnel.

Several parts of India witnessed violent protests against the scheme in June with the agitators demanding its rollback as the new model does not provide a job guarantee to 75 per cent of the recruits.

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