New Delhi: The Army will formally kick-start the process for recruitment under the Agnipath scheme within two days by coming out with an initial notification for the enrolment, senior military officials said on Friday.
After issuance of the initial notification, various agencies and establishments of the Army will subsequently come out with details of the induction process such as the number of vacancies, location of recruitment rallies and test schedules, they said.
The officials said the Army has set its target of starting the training of new recruits under the Agnipath scheme by December.
They said the plan is to deploy the initial batches of recruits under the new scheme in operational and non-operational roles by around June next year.
Army Chief General Manoj Pande said the government's decision to raise the upper age limit to 23 years from 21 for recruitment under the Agnipath scheme in 2022 will provide an opportunity to the youths preparing to join the force but couldn't do so due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the last two years.
Gen Pande said the decision of the government has been received by the Army to grant the one-time waiver and that the recruitment process will be announced shortly.
The Chief of Army Staff also called upon the youth to avail the opportunity to join the Indian Army as 'Agniveers'.
"The decision of the government has been received to grant a one-time waiver, increasing the entry age of recruitment to 23 years, for the recruitment cycle of 2022," the Army Chief said in a statement.
"This decision will provide an opportunity for many of our young, energetic and patriotic youth who, despite the COVID-19 pandemic were preparing to join the recruitment rallies, which couldn't be completed in the last two years due to COVID restrictions," he said.
.jpg.transform/576x300/image.jpg "Bihar protest")
"The schedule of the recruitment process will be announced shortly. We call upon our youth to avail this opportunity for joining the Indian Army as Agniveers," Gen Pande said.
The government on Thursday night increased the upper age limit for recruitment under the Agnipath scheme to 23 years from 21 for the year 2022 amid widespread protest against the new model for enrolment of soldiers into the three services.
Unveiling the scheme on Tuesday, the government said youths between the ages of 17 and-a-half and 21 years would be inducted for a four-year tenure while 25 per cent of the recruits will be retained for regular service.
Protests see over 200 trains cancelled across country
Meanwhile, over 200 trains have been cancelled so far due to protests against the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the defence services, the Railways said on Friday.
According to zonal railways, 164 trains were cancelled in the East Central Railways (ECR), 34 in North Eastern Railways (NER), 13 in Northern Railways (NR) and around three in Northeast Frontier Railways.
Coaches of seven trains have so far been set ablaze by protestors, officials said, adding coaches of three running trains in the ECR and one empty rake in Kulharia, in the same zone, were damaged by protestors.
One coach of a train was also damaged in the washing line at Uttar Pradesh's Ballia. So far, 64 trains were short terminated in ECR, they said.
The Southern Railways, in a statement, said all trains moving from its jurisdiction towards destinations in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh will be short-terminated due to widespread agitations and arson there over the Agnipath scheme.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urged youths not to destroy railway assets. "I appeal to the youth to not indulge in violent protests and not damage the property of the Railways."
The worst-hit East Central Railways -- covering Bihar, Jharkhand and parts of Uttar Pradesh which have witnessed widespread protests -- has decided to "monitor" the operations of some trains due to the agitations.
The officials said they are keeping an eye on train movement and will decide on their operation as the situation evolves.
One killed in police firing in Secunderabad
One person was killed in police firing in Secunderabad, the first casualty of protests against the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme that raged through several states for the third day on Friday with trains torched, public property vandalised and many thousands blocking tracks and highways.
Railway officials said damage to fixed assets is difficult to assess at the moment.
