The Agnipath scheme was announced by the Narendra Modi government to recruit soldiers, including women for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them in the regular cadre for another 15 years after another round of screening.
The Supreme Court on Friday will hear pleas challenging the Centre’s Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment into the armed forces. A bench of justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna will consider the matter.
The Agnipath scheme was announced by the Narendra Modi government in June for a short-term induction of soldiers in the armed forces. The scheme seeks to recruit soldiers, including women for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them in the regular cadre for another 15 years after another round of screening.
The announcement had led to protests across the country, with agitations turning violent in some states. Some petitions were filed in the Supreme Court challenging the scheme introduced by the Centre.
The Centre has been aggressively defending the scheme, stating that the reforms were long pending as the armed forces wanted to bring in youthfulness and experience. The defence ministry had also said that concessions like reservations for ‘Agniveers’ by different ministries were pre-planned and not in reaction to the arson which took place in June.
“This reform was long pending. We want to bring youthfulness and experience with this reform. Today, a large number of jawans are in their 30s& officers are getting command much later than in the past,” Lt Gen Anil Puri, Additional Secretary, Dept of Military Affairs, said at the briefing on June 19.
