Agneepath Scheme: Due to protests, the government increased the maximum age limit to 23 years

Central government has increased the upper age limit in one-time relaxation for Agneepath scheme 21 to 23 years old.

Earlier, the entry age for all new recruits in the Armed Forces was fixed at 17.5 to 21 years.

“Taking cognizance of the fact that it has not been possible to make recruitment during the last two years, the government has decided that one-time relaxation will be given for the proposed recruitment cycle for 2022,” the Center said.

Accordingly, the upper age limit for the recruitment process for Agneepath Yojana has been increased to 23 years.

heavy protest

Meanwhile, nationwide protests against the central government’s Agneepath scheme continued for the second day on Thursday in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The protesters mainly consisted of youths expressing dissatisfaction against the government’s 4-year plan.

The Center had on Tuesday unveiled the Agneepath scheme – a new short-term recruitment policy for Indian youth to serve in the armed forces. The scheme would allow youth aged 17.5 to 21 to enlist as “offensive” in any of the three services of the Army for a period of four years.

Trains were canceled and delayed in many parts of the country as protesters targeted railway lines. In Bihar, trains were torched at several railway stations across the state. In Bihar’s Buxar district, over 100 youths stormed the railway station and sat on the tracks, disrupting the onward journey of the Patna-bound Jan Shatabdi Express for nearly 30 minutes. After protests in Bihar, 30 trains were canceled and about 36 were delayed.

Defense job seekers have expressed concern about their next move, as after completion of four years, only 25 per cent of the soldiers recruited through the scheme will be retained for full tenure. The youth who are recruited and not absorbed through Agneepath scheme will be given relief without pension benefits.