Amid protests against the Agnipath scheme, NSA Ajit Doval backs govt decision and says there will be no rollback of the scheme.Â
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval asserts that there is no question of rollback in regards to the Agnipath scheme. Ajit Doval is the newest in line to defend the scheme after it has caused army aspirants across India to protest against the scheme.
NSA Ajit Doval denies rollback
Instead of violent protests against the Agnipath defense recruitment scheme, National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval said on Tuesday that there is no question of a rollback.
He held that India has one of the youngest populations in the world but it continues to have an army with a high average age, which needs to change, arguing that the new system will ensure a younger, forward, and tech-savvy army.
NSA Doval is the latest among the government to defend the Agnipath scheme in place for recruiting ‘Agniveer’ soldiers on a four-year contractual basis without pension.
At the end of their service, only up to 25 percent of the initial recruits may be given a regular commission of 15 years thereafter.
This led to criticism from several communities, including army aspirants and veterans, who observed the fault in the scheme. It has caused violent protests across India.Â
Doval blasts protesters talk about merits of the scheme
In regards to the protests, Doval asserted that vandalism is not justified. He targeted the protesters, mostly army aspirants, saying that those riotings are not aspirants but the ones preparing at home.
He added that though some veterans had genuine concerns and were gradually changing their position on the scheme, certain people simply want to increase conflict in society to discredit the government”.
Talking about the scope of Agniveers who will retire from service after four years, he asserted that the age to settle down nowadays is around 25-26 and it is common to have more than one career in a lifetime.
He reckoned that by the time the recruits from the first batch of Agniveers retire, India will be a 5-trillion-dollar economy and various industries will need younger people working for them.Â
Mr. Doval denied any possibility of a rollback, asserting that the scheme is not a knee-jerk action but has been debated and discussed for decades.
He cited several army committees and ministerial panels who were privy to the planning, processing, and detailing of the scheme, even hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as someone who would be willing to pay a political price, if needed, simply to take a step in the right direction.
Speaking on the concerns that the regimental system will be affected, he said that there will be no displacement and that the Artillery, Armored Corps, and such will remain.
As for caste-based regiments, he assured that very few remain, citing their colonial legacy and how the British did not want the soldiers to represent pan-India but to represent their community and region.
He set aside fears that retired Agniveers would be used for vested interests or become mercenaries for hire, asserting that these men and women will have such a high level of training and commitment towards a society that they will remain a force for internal security, saying that not only will the armed forces have well-trained jawans, but the community will have thousands as catalysts of change from a national perspective.
Announced by Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh, in the presence of the three service chiefs, the Agnipath scheme provides for the recruitment of men and women in the age bracket of 17-and-a-half to 21 years to the triple services.
The Center later extended the upper age limit to 23 years for recruitment owing to the Covid 19 pandemic. They plan to hire close to 45,000 soldiers this year across the three services.
NSA Doval expressed that society is inching towards contactless wars and that technology is taking over. Saying that if we have to prepare for tomorrow, then we cannot do things as we did in the past.
