Earlier today, the Centre unveiled the Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of soldiers in the Army, Navy and the Air Force on a short-term contractual basis with an aim to cut the ballooning salary and pensions bills and enable a youthful profile of the armed forces

New Delhi: Chhattisgarh minister and Congress leader TS Singhdeo on Tuesday questioned the Central government's Agnipath recruitment scheme under which 10 lakh government jobs will be provided in the next 1.5 years.

Singhdeo asked, "Defence services and national security are being toyed with. Experts, who were chiefs of defence forces, opine that it takes at least 8 years to prepare youth for deployment on borders. What do they want to gain with 4 years of training?"

"If you want to give jobs, do it elsewhere. What kind of job is this where you'll keep them for 4 years and then only 25% of them would be allowed to go ahead? This is aimless. Instead of providing them permanent options for jobs, defence services are being toyed with," he added.

Earlier today, the Centre unveiled the Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of soldiers in the Army, Navy and the Air Force on a short-term contractual basis with an aim to cut the ballooning salary and pensions bills and enable a youthful profile of the armed forces.

The armed forces will recruit 46,000 'Agniveers' this year and the eligible age for selection will be in the range of 17.5 years to 21 years. The recruitment under the scheme is set to kick in within 90 days.
Army chief General Manoj Pande said, "The Agniveer, leaving after four years, will be empowered with suitable skills and financial means and carry a unique resume, that will significantly enhance his value and employability in the civil society."