Enrollment in India’s new contract for armed services will begin this month, senior defense officials say, despite protests against a scheme that will drastically reduce tenure and offer fewer service benefits at the end of contracts.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi established a policy on June 14 called Agnipath, or “path of fire”, designed to add more people to the army with four-year contracts to reduce the average age of the armed forces. India, which have 1.38 million strong.
The scheme sparked violent protests in the north and east of the country, with thousands of young people attacking buses, burning tires and clashing with officials, after which the government amended some of the rules.
Defense experts have also criticized the plan, saying it could weaken the force structure and have serious ramifications for national security in a country that shares often tense borders with both Pakistan and China.
However, top defense officials say Agnipath is a transformative reform that is being implemented to renovate security infrastructure.
“Why should it be revoked? This was a long-awaited reform,” Lieutenant General Anil Puri, the deputy secretary of the Ministry of Defense, told reporters in New Delhi.
The government changed some of the rules after thousands of people protested the “path of fire” policy. (Reuters)
Uncertain job security after deployment
Under Agnipath, 46,000 cadets will be hired this year and only 25% will remain at the end of their four years.
The cadets will be trained for six months and then deployed for three and a half years.
One of the biggest concerns is the fate of the soldiers after their term ends, but Lt. Gen. Puri said the government would make sure those enrolled in the program find suitable jobs when they are discharged.
He said anyone involved in violent protests would not qualify for defense services under the scheme.
On Sunday, the federal Interior Ministry said it would reserve 10% of the vacancies for paramilitary forces and the Assam Rifles, a unit of the Indian army, for those who have disappeared from the army under the plan.
The Ministry of Defense said it would reserve 10% of its vacancies for those who have completed the plan.
Reuters