Industrialist Anand Mahindra, 'saddened' by Agnipath violence, makes offer for Agniveers

Mahindra, who is "saddened by the violence", tweeted, "Saddened by the violence around the #Agneepath program. When the scheme was mooted last year I stated-& I repeat-the discipline & skills Agniveers gain will make them eminently employable.

"The Mahindra Group welcomes the opportunity to recruit such trained, capable young people."

Massive violent protests broke out across the country with job aspirants, mainly from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, resorting to vandalising and torching trains disrupting the railway connectivity.

Following the protests, the government has announced relaxations stating the Agniveers will be recruited in paramilitary forces and government positions.

However, the government, which is in no mood to roll back the scheme, said the relaxations were pre-planned and not a reaction to the protests.

What is Agnipath scheme?

The Centre unveiled the Agnipath scheme last Tuesday as a "transformative" one for the recruitment of soldiers in the Army, Navy and the Air Force, largely on a four-year short-term contractual basis.

The youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers.

"Agnipath allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years," read the statement issued by the Defence Ministry.

The age limit for Agnipath recruitment has now been raised to 23 from 21 as a "one-time waiver" following the protests.