Supreme Court to hear pleas challenging Agnipath scheme next week

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said that it would hear next week pleas challenging the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme for recruitment in the armed forces.

A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshwari said that petitions will be listed next week before an appropriate bench upon reopening of the apex court after summer vacation.

Last month, the government had announced the Agnipath scheme, under which youths between the ages of 17-and-a-half and 21 years would be inducted in the armed forces for a four-year-tenure, while 25 per cent of them will be subsequently inducted for regular service.

Agnipath - Controversial new recruitment plan

Agnipath is a new scheme introduced by the Government of India on 14 June 2022, for recruitment of soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers into the three services of the armed forces.

The Agnipath Scheme will be the only route for recruitment into the military. All recruits will be hired only for a four year period. Personnel recruited under this system are to be called Agniveers, which will be a new military rank.

The introduction of the scheme has been criticised for lack of consultation and public debate. The scheme is scheduled to be implemented from September 2022.

This scheme will bypass many things including long tenures, pension and other benefits which were there in old system.

Opposition parties in India have criticised and expressed concerns about the consequences of the new scheme. They have asked the scheme to be put on hold and that the scheme be discussed in the Parliament.

On June 16, violent protests erupted in several states in India where the army aspirants angry with the new scheme called for its rollback and damaged public property.

By June 17, 12 trains were set on fire, and the movement of 300 trains were affected. 214 trains were cancelled, 12 trains were diverted and 90 were terminated short of their destination.

(with inputs from PTI)