IYC demands rollback of Agnipath scheme, says changes fail to address concerns of aspirants

The Indian Youth Congress on Friday demanded a complete rollback of the Agnipath scheme, alleging that the Centre’s decision to extend the service tenure of Agniveers by two years and offer them another opportunity for regular enrolment does not address concerns over job security, permanent recruitment and service benefits.

In an official statement, the Congress’ youth wing said the latest changes vindicated the stand taken by the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the party since the scheme was introduced in 2022, and accused the government of making “cosmetic modifications” instead of addressing what it described as fundamental flaws in the recruitment policy.

“The Modi government has been forced to acknowledge what Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party have been consistently saying since 2022 — the Agnipath scheme is fundamentally flawed. The government’s latest announcement is an admission that the original scheme failed to address the concerns of our youth and the armed forces,” IYC national in-charge Manish Sharma said.

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Under the revised arrangement approved by the Union Cabinet on November 4, 25 per cent of Agniveers will continue to be enrolled in the regular forces after their initial four-year tenure on merit. The remaining 75 per cent would be given an opportunity to serve for another two years, following which they would be eligible for consideration for enrolment as regular soldiers, subject to selection criteria and their willingness.

The extended engagement will come with higher remuneration, an enhanced Seva Nidhi package and seniority benefits. The government has said the changes follow an assessment of the scheme’s implementation and performance of Agniveers over the past four years.

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The Agnipath scheme, introduced in June 2022, provides for recruitment into the armed forces for an initial four-year tenure, with up to 25 per cent of each batch eligible for permanent enrolment based on merit and organisational requirements. The remaining personnel were to exit service after completing their engagement and receive a Seva Nidhi package.

The IYC, however, said the revised arrangement did not provide clarity on permanent recruitment, pensionary benefits and long-term career security, and sought a clear guarantee of dignified employment for those serving in the armed forces.

“The youth of this country deserve permanent jobs, dignity and security, not repeated experiments with their future. For years, Army aspirants have struggled, protested and demanded justice, while the Modi Government remained adamant,” IYC national president Uday Bhanu Chib said.

He said the organisation would continue to raise the concerns of Army aspirants and fight for permanent recruitment and secure career opportunities in the armed forces.

The IYC also said that national security and the operational preparedness of the armed forces should not be compromised through short-term policy experiments.

No immediate reaction was available from the BJP-led Centre on the IYC’s remarks.