Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, June 21: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval said on Tuesday in a message to the youth on the Agnipath scheme that they should stay positive and have faith in the country’s leadership as well as themselves.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, NSA Doval said that people join the military for a variety of reasons, including patriotism and a sense of what they can do to the country.He stated that the scheme is not for those who do not feel this way.
Agniveers, according to Doval, will be able to use their age as an asset, as they will have their future secured and will not have to worry about anything.
“As far as the message for the youth is concerned, one thing is clear, nobody is working in the armed forces just for money. People work with the spirit of enthusiasm. People work for the nation. People invest their energies for the nation,” he said.
“In this scheme, it is important to have the right skill set, training and physical fitness. But what is more important is the ideology behind pursuing a career in this field. The youth, who wish to become Agniveers should be positive, have faith in the nation, the leadership, the society and also in yourself,” he added.
The ‘transformative’ Agnipath scheme, introduced by Union Minister Rajanath Singh on June 14 in the presence of the three service chiefs, allows young people aged 17 and a half to 21 to join the armed forces for only four years, with a possibility to keep 25% of them for another 15 years. In 2022, the Centre raised the upper age limit for recruitment to 23 years.
On June 14, the Union Cabinet also approved the Agnipath initiative, under which youth selected will be recognised as Agniveers.
