Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, June 19: For the second day in a row, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh is chairing a meeting with the three service chiefs amid nationwide protests against the Agnipath recruiting plan, according to news agency ANI.
Delhi | Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meets the three Services chiefs today amid 'Agnipath' protests pic.twitter.com/T14TRP7AAp
— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2022
As protests against the new defence recruitment system grew, the defence minister met with army commander General Manoj Pande, navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari on Saturday.
After completing four years of service under the Agnipath initiative, the defence minister declared a 10% quota for ‘Agniveers’ in the Coast Guard and defence public sector undertakings (DPSU). A ten percent quota in the central paramilitary forces (CAPF) and the Assam Rifles has also been announced by the home ministry.
The home ministry also announced a three-year age relaxation for ‘Agniveers’ seeking to join the paramilitary forces and the Assam Rifles beyond the permissible maximum age limit. The age relaxation for the initial cohort of ‘Agniveers’ will be for five years beyond the upper age restriction.
Several ministries have also declared a slew of counter-measures against the ‘Agnives.’ Several BJP-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, and Assam, have stated that ‘Agnivesers’ will be given preference in state police and other government positions.
