Lieutenant General Anil Puri speaks to NDTV on the 'Agnipath' scheme
A top military officer who is one of the driving forces behind the new tour of duty 'Agnipath' programme has made it clear there is no place for arsonists in the armed forces. The comment comes amid violent protests by military aspirants in several states over job security concerns at the end of the four-year tour of duty period under the 'Agnipath' scheme.
"We do not stand for arson. These people [protesters] have no place with us. There is not an iota of indiscipline [in the armed forces]," Lieutenant General Anil Puri told NDTV today.
The protests could be a result of bitterness among a small percentage of military aspirants who have been preparing to join the armed forces for the last two years amid the pandemic, and not against the 'Agnipath' programme itself, Lt. General Puri, who is the Additional Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs, told NDTV. General Bipin Rawat, who died in a helicopter crash in December last year, headed the Department of Military Affairs.
He said cost-cutting is the last thing the scheme is concerned about, as the first priority is to make the military younger, modern and a more effective force.
"In fact, training Agniveers [those recruited under 'Agnipath] will cost more in the future," Lt. General Puri said, adding the scheme aims to introduce a youthful profile into the military.
"In the times to come, [the average age in the military] will come down to 26 years from 32 years. In six-seven years, we will be at 27 years of age at average," Lt. General Puri said.
The 'Agnipath' scheme aims to lower the average age of personnel in the armed forces.
A key takeaway is that 'Agniveers' would learn new skillsets in the military, which would be advantageous for post-tour of duty roles, the officer said. For example, 'Agniveers' who are Class 10 pass would become eligible for Class 12 certificate once they complete the course. They would also be trained in supply chain management.
"In fact corporate India would be happy to hire Agniveers," Lt. General Puri said. "Industry leaders have told the government, 'you give us discipline, we will do the finishing school', so hiring Agnipath graduates will not be a problem," he said.
The centre has announced several concessions amid the protests. There will be a 10 per cent quota in Defence Ministry jobs, spread across the Coast Guard and defence civilian posts, and all the 16 defence public sector undertakings. This reservation would be in addition to existing reservation for ex-servicemen.
On top of all this, the government announced 10 per cent reservation for 'Agniveers' in the Central Armed Police Forces, or CAPFs, and the Assam Rifles, which comes under the Defence Ministry.
Lt. General Puri said the paramilitary and police forces that absorb 'Agniveers' would not need to train them from scratch and only an orientation, hardly for a few weeks, would suffice.
The 'Agnipath' scheme is not open for women in combat roles and there are no plans as of now, the officer told NDTV.