Agnipath protests: Union ministries, states rush to promise jobs to ‘Agniveers’

The newly-announced Agnipath scheme for the recruitment to the armed forces has triggered massive protests across the country.

In states like Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Bihar, the protests took violent turn with agitators torching trains at the railway stations. Under fire from the opposition parties including Congress, Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party which have demanded the rollback of the schemes, the Centre through its ministries has tried to allay concerns of the youth.

Let’s take a look what the Centre and states are doing to assure the youth about their future once the four year term under the Agnipath scheme ends.

1. Ministry of home affairs: The ministry of home affairs has reserved ten per cent of the vacancies in the central paramilitary forces and the Assam Rifles for the ‘Agniveers’ after their four years of service in the armed forces. The MHA also decided to give a relaxation of three years’ age beyond the prescribed upper age limit to the ‘Agniveers’ for the recruitment in the paramilitary forces and the Assam rifles. For the first batch of Agniveers, the age relaxation will be for five years beyond the prescribed upper age limit, union home minister Amit Shah tweeted.

2. Ministry of Defence: Defence minister Rajnath Singh said the government has reserved ten per cent of the jobs in organisations under the defence ministry for the ‘Agniveers’, provided they meet the requisite eligibility criteria for such an employment. The ten per cent reservation will be implemented in the Indian Coast Guard and the defence civilian posts, and all the 16 defence public sector undertakings (DPSU).

3. Ministry of Civil Aviation: The Ministry of Civil Aviation said it will induct ‘Agniveers’ into its services. The ministry said it is looking forward to hire ‘Agniveers’ for air traffic services, aircraft technician services, maintenance and overhaul of aircraft, meteorological and air accident investigation services etc.

4. Housing & Petroleum ministries: Union minister Hardeep Puri said the public sector undertakings (PSU) under housing and petroleum ministries are working on hiring ‘Agniveers’ after their four-year service in the armed forces, PTI reported. “This is a great scheme. I can say this on record that many PSUs under my ministries are already working on (hiring) trained manpower (Agniveers)… their skills can be utilised in PSUs,” he said at an event.

5. Ministry of Shipping: The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW)on Saturday announced six service avenues for smooth transition of Agniveers in various roles of the Merchant navy, post their stint with the Indian Navy, PTI reported. According to an official statement, the scheme will enable Agniveers to acquire necessary training, with naval experience and professional certification to join the remunerative merchant navy across the world.

6. Uttarakhand government: Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said that ‘Agniveers’ who return after their four-year stint with the armed forces will be given jobs in the police and the disaster management departments to make use of their discipline, skills, and military training, PTI reported.

7. Uttar Pradesh: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath assured the youth who complete their four years of service in the armed forces will get priority for jobs in state police and allied forces. “@UPGovt assures that ‘Agniveers’ post their service will be given priority for accomodation in Police & Police Allied Forces,” the chief minister tweeted.

8. Madhya Pradesh: The ‘Agniveers’ will be given preferences in the police recruitment in the state, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan promised.

9. Karnataka: Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said the government has planned to give preference to ‘agniveers’ — soldiers recruited in the Army, Navy and the Air Force on a short-term contract under the special ‘Agnipath’ scheme — in recruitment to police services in the State.

10. Assam: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced to prioritize those who come back from the programme after four years, in the Assam Arogya Nidhi initiative.

11. Haryana: The youth recruited in the armed forces under the Centre’s “Agnipath” scheme will be given preference in government jobs in Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said.

12. Arunachal Pradesh: Chief minister Pema Khandu said the ‘Agniveers’ will get priority in state police jobs and the state government’s subsidy schemes.