Kharge expresses reservations about the Agnipath program in a letter to President Murmu

In a letter to President Droupadi Murmu on Monday, Congressman Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated his reservations about the Agnipath system for armed forces recruitment, which reduces tenure and provides less incentives.

Despite opposition, the scheme’s enrollment period began in 2022. Agnipath is intended to reduce the average age of the military by recruiting more personnel on four-year contracts.

Kharge brought the injustice experienced by almost 200,000 young men and women to light. He said that the termination of the standard hiring procedure has left their future in doubt. “I recently met them, and they informed me that nearly two lakh [200,000] young men and women were informed that they had been accepted into the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force between 2019 and 2022,” the author said.

According to Kharge, these young men and women battled adversity to pass arduous written exams, physical exams, and mental examinations. They thought they had achieved their goals and were only waiting for their joining letters till May 31, 2022. The Government of India’s decision to discontinue this recruiting procedure and substitute the Agnipath Scheme crushed their hopes on that day.

He also mentioned the several well-known problems with the Agnipath plan. “General MM Naravane, the former Chief of Army Staff, said that Agnipath “took the Army by surprise” and that “for the Navy and Air Force, it came like a bolt from the blue.”

According to Kharge, the plan is biased as it establishes two distinct cadres of troops who are supposed to do comparable duties but have drastically different pay, perks, and future opportunities. After four years of service, “the majority of Agniveers will be released into an uncertain job market, which some have argued could affect social stability,” he said.

They not only spent years chasing this goal, but the 250 that each of the 50 lakh [five million] applicants had to pay to get an application form was never reimbursed, meaning that these young people were robbed of a substantial 125 crore. The ensuing despondency and frustration have also been linked to a number of documented suicide deaths.

India’s young cannot be allowed to suffer in this way, according to Kharge. “I beg you to see to it that justice is served and that NYAY is upheld.”

In light of the “overarching public interest,” the Supreme Court last year upheld the Agnipath scheme’s legality, ruling that it is not arbitrary nor necessitates judicial intervention.

Under the program, anyone between the ages of 17 and a half and 21 may apply for a four-year term. Agnipath is the sole recruiting program for those below officer level, allowing 25% of applicants to be awarded regular service.