Earlier, when the scheme was annouced on Tuesday, the government had said the entry age for all new recruits will have to be from 17 and a half year to 21 year….reports Asian Lite News
The Centre on Thursday raised the upper-age limit for recruitment under the Agnipath scheme to 23 years from 21 years for the year 2022 amid protest and agitation against the new Army recruitment scheme.
“Consequent to the commencement of the AGNIPATH scheme, the entry age for all new recruits in the Armed Forces has been fixed as 17 and a half – 21 years of age. Cognizant of the fact that it has not been possible to undertake the recruitment during the last two years, the Government has decided that a one-time waiver shall be granted for the proposed recruitment cycle for 2022,” the government said in a statement.
Earlier, when the scheme was annouced on Tuesday, the government had said the entry age for all new recruits will have to be from 17 and a half year to 21 year.
Congress takes dig
Besides violent protests by several hundreds of youth in Madhya Pradesh, a political slugfest also started over the Centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the ‘Agniveers’ (beneficiaries of the Agnipath scheme) would be given “special” priority in the state police services.
Chouhan’s obvious support was akin to that of Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityaath. “After serving in the Armed Forces, Agniveers will be given priority in state police services,” the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister announced.
Not only Chouhan but the entire state unit of the BJP stood in support of the Centre’s Agnipath scheme with their own views of nationalism and dedication to serve the nation.
On the other side, the Congress attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the “government will now use a temporary army to protect the nation”.
Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath took a dig at the Modi government, calling it ‘short term’ thinking and planning to protect the country. “Will now the country be protected with such a temporary approach? Real nationalism is coming out now,” Nath wrote on his official twitter handle.
Digvijaya Singh claimed that the police personnel in Gujarat are also recruited on a temporary basis. Singh made this remark replying to a tweet of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi. “Do you know that police recruitment in Gujarat is also done on contract? It is not permanent,” Digvijaya wrote.
To counter the Congress party, some state BJP leaders and workers accused the Opposition of trying divert attention from the National Herald case, adding that the Congress is “misleading the youth”.
A massive protest broke out in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior district on Thursday where more than 1000 youth took the street and vandalised private and public properties to mark their protest against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme.