Agnipath row
'Agnipath' protests continue even after Centre announces new steps to address protesters' concerns
New Delhi/IBNS: Despite the Centre's steps to address the concerns over the 'Agnipath' defence recruitment scheme, protests in several states continue with the job aspirants demanding a rollback of the scheme.
Amid the violent protests against Agnipath, the Narendra Modi government on Saturday announced a 10 per cent reservation for 'Agniveers' (future recruits) in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the PSUs under his housing and petroleum ministries are also working on plans to induct 'Agniveers'.
The Centre indicated that other departments too were working in the direction after several BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Assam announced various measures to encourage the youth to apply under the Agnipath scheme and assured them reservation.
The Home Ministry also decided to give 3 years of age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles.
On Thursday, the centre raised the upper age limit for recruitment under the 'Agnipath' scheme to 23 years for 2022.
The Air Force has released details on the new recruitment plan, 'Agnipath'. The detailed brief issued by the Air Force lays down the various aspects of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, selection process and benefits.
Meanwhile, train services were stopped in Bihar till 8 pm on Saturday and will be suspended again between 4 am and 8 pm on Sunday.
A railway station was razed and some law enforcers were injured on Saturday as the protesters tried to enforce the bandh, calling for a rollback of the Agnipath scheme to recruit jawans.
More than 350 trains were burnt as armed forces aspirants were angry with the new programme even as the government announced new concessions and assurances.
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Protesters burnt a vehicle in Haryana's Mahendergarh railway station while over 50 agitators raided the Ludhiana railway station in Punjab, damaging property.
In Uttar Pradesh, cases were registered against 400 unknown persons in connection with the violence in Ballia, while 225 people were booked for holding protests on the Yamuna Expressway in Gautam Buddh Nagar adjoining Delhi.
In Kerala, hundreds of young men took out huge protest rallies in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.
Train services in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal were disrupted for nearly one hour as protesters blocked railway tracks.
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