Was 'Agnipath' a signature Rajnath Singh scheme in the first place?

 The space for Rajnath in UP politics has shrunk after Yogi Adityanath appeared on the scene

Barring a minor “one-time” tweak in the upper-age limit for armed forces recruitment under the Agnipath scheme, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has stuck to his guns that the scheme will change the profile of the armed forces, making them younger-looking. As swathes of India, from rural areas to urban, from north to south, burn, Rajnath stands unmoved: Ironically over a scheme in which he has had little to contribute, despite being defence minister.

Agnipath: Data shows veterans fail to find govt jobs after retirement

 Between 32 Central ministries, only 1.60% of the 22,168 positions reserved for veterans have been filled

A meagre 2.4 per cent of ex-servicemen who applied for a job could get one as state and central governments have been unable to recruit against the reserved quota. Public sector utilities (PSUs), ministries and officials of Sainik boards have blamed it on the lack of skill among ex-servicemen. They contend that veterans’ inability to qualify in selection exams and non-recognition of qualifications obtained from the military are reasons why their recruitment has remained significantly low, pushing them toward low-skill jobs.

As protests over the Agnipath scheme rage across the country, the government has announced reservations in job vacancies across sectors for around 34,000 “Agniveers” who will retire after four years of service. However, data from Director General Resettlement- the nodal body responsible for rehabilitating retired military personnel, shows that states, central public sector units, including defence PSUs, and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have failed to recruit against the vacancies reserved for veterans.

Agnipath scheme: Violent protests continue in Bihar, 2 trains set on fire

 Violent protests over the Central government’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme for recruitment in armed forces continued across Bihar on Friday with agitators disrupting rail and road traffic

Violent protests over the Central government’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme for recruitment in armed forces continued across Bihar on Friday with agitators disrupting rail and road traffic and setting the Bhagalpur-New Delhi Vikramshila Express and Jammu Tawi-Guwahati Express trains on fire. Several organisations have given a 72-hour ultimatum to the Modi government to withdraw the Agnipath scheme or else they will intensify the agitation and call for Bharat Bandh.

Raju Yadav, the convener of Army Recruitment personnel Morcha; Manoj Manjil, Left party MLA from the Agiyaon Assembly constituency and national president of INAUS, Sandeep Saurav, MLA of Paliganj and secretary of AISA Bihar unit; Ajit Kushwaha, MLA of Dumraon; Aftab Alam, Vikas Yadav and many others related to AISA (All India Students Association) and INAUS have given the ultimatum to the Central government to withdraw the Agnipath scheme.

The agitation by the students and job aspirants continued in almost all the districts of Bihar. In Lakhisarai, the agitating students set the Bhagalpur-New Delhi Vikramshila Express on fire as soon as the train arrived at the platform. The agitated youths asked the passengers to come out from the trains and then set the train afire…Read More