Violent Protests against recruitment scheme in States of Bihar, UP, Haryana and Rajsthan

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HnExpress Mayank Chakravarty, Web Desk News : Massive protests have erupted against the government’s Agnipath scheme across Bihar and Rajasthan as army job seekers voice concern over security and pensions. Stone-pelting at security forces has been reported from Bihar’s Ara as several students took to the streets against the Central government’s scheme. Protests that have erupted across several cities in Bihar against the government’s Agnipath scheme. Following the student protests in Bihar over the Agnipath scheme, 30 trains have been cancelled and 36 trains have been delayed.

Out of the delayed trains, 30 trains are of the Eastern Central railway, 4 of the Northern railway and 2 are of the Western railway. In Bihar, 22 trains of the East Central Railway have been canceled and 29 trains have been affected due to the protest against the Agnipath scheme. Apart from this, 5 trains have been rescheduled. Protests against the Agnipath scheme have been reported from at least eight districts in Jahanabad, Buxar, Muzaffarabad, Bhojpur, Saran, Bihar, Munger, Nawada, and Kaimur.

Protests were also reported in Rajasthan, Haryana, UP, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi. Protests against the Centre’s Agnipath recruitment scheme continued in several parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for the second day on Thursday. The protesters have been demanding withdrawal of the Army’s scheme, under which youth will get a 4-year tenure in the armed forces. They will also be entitled to monetary benefits at the end of their 4-year term.

The aspirants said they are unhappy with the changes introduced under the new recruitment scheme for the Indian Army, particularly the length of service, no pension provisions for those released early, and the 17.5 to 21 age restriction that now makes many of them ineligible. We demand that the recruitment be done as it used to be done earlier. Tour of Duty (ToD) be rolled back and exams be held as earlier. Nobody will go to Army just for four years,” a protestor in Munger told ANI. In Bihar’s Jehanabad, another protester said, “Where will we go after working for only four years?



we will be homeless after four years of service. So we have jammed the roads; the country’s leaders will now get to know that people are aware.” Protests began in some districts of Uttar Pradesh against the ‘Agnipath’ scheme. Students blocked the GT road in Bulandshahr and raised slogans demanding the withdrawal of the scheme which allow short-term recruitment in the armed forces. The district officials had a tough time in persuading the protesters to call off the blockade.

The protesters submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate. In Gonda, the protests were led by students who carried placards and shouted slogans against the scheme. Similarly, in Unnao too, protests were held with students and unemployed youth demanding that recruitment be done in the traditional way instead of short-term contract. The Union cabinet on Tuesday approved the Agnipath recruitment scheme which provides an opportunity for Indian youth to serve in the regular cadre of the Armed Forces for a period of four years.



The scheme has been designed to enable a youthful profile of the Armed Forces and provide a fresh lease of ‘Josh’ and ‘Jazba’ whilst at the same time bringing about a transformational shift towards a more tech-savvy Armed Forces which is indeed the need of the hour. The selection will be the exclusive jurisdiction of the Armed Forces. A total of 46,000 Agniveers will be recruited this year. During this period of service to the nation, the Agniveers will be imparted with various military skills and experience, discipline, physical fitness, leadership qualities, courage and patriotism.

Hundreds of young people took to the streets in Bilaspur and Sidhrawali areas of Gurugram and Rewari against the ‘Agnipath’ scheme. The protesters laid a virtual seize on bus stands and roads, crippling traffic on the Gurugram-Jaipur highway, and held a protest at Bilaspur Chowk. Following this, the Police personnel deployed at the DC residence in Palwal resorted to aerial firing to warn protesters who were pelting stones at the residence. Several police vehicles were torched, several roadways buses were damaged in stone-pelting and the National Highway 19 was also blocked. The Police used tear gas shells and fired in the air to control the mob.

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