Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, June 19: Top defence officials said on Sunday that defence reforms like Agnipath had been in the works for a long time since the armed services sought to bring in more youth and experience, despite ongoing demonstrations against the Centre’s defence recruitment programme.
In response to several ministries’ reservations for the ‘Agniveers,’ the military ministry stated that the announcements were pre-planned and not in response to the arson that occurred after the Agnipath initiative announcement. The announcement by the defence ministry comes at a time when protests against the Agnipath programme are taking place in India. Violence has erupted in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Telangana, with protesters torching train bogies, police vehicles, and government property.
“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 press briefing.
According to Lieutenant General C Bansi Ponnappa, army recruitment rallies will begin in the first half of August, with the first batch of ‘Agniveers’ arriving in the first week of December. The second shipment will arrive in February. The army will organise 83 recruitment rallies and visit “every community” in the country, according to the officer.
By November 21, the navy’s first batch of ‘Agniveers’ will arrive at INS Chilka in Odisha for training.
“Around 17,600 people are taking premature retirement from the three Services every year. No one ever tried to ask them what they will do after retirement,” he added.
