India News | Agnipath Scheme to Have Significant Positive Impact on Society: Sudarshan Venu

New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) TVS Motor Company's Managing Director Sudarshan Venu on Friday said the 'Agnipath' scheme will have a significant positive impact on the society, and contribute greatly to nation building.

Under the scheme, youths between the age of 17 and-a-half and 23 years will be recruited for a four-year tenure in defence services and 25 per cent of the recruits would be retained for regular service and others would retire without gratuity and pension benefits.

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However, there have been violent protests in several states since Wednesday against the scheme.

"The Agnipath scheme will have a significant positive impact on society, and contribute greatly to nation building. Agniveers will play a key role in furthering economic growth and strengthening society in the coming years," Venu said in a statement.

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The Railways on Friday said that over 200 trains have been affected so far due to the protests against the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the armed forces.

A number of opposition political parties and a significant number of military experts have also slammed the scheme saying it will adversely impact the functioning of the armed forces.

The new scheme for the recruitment of soldiers in the Army, Navy and Air Force was projected by the government as a major overhaul of the decades-old selection process to enhance the youthful profile of the three services.

The government on Thursday increased the upper-age limit for recruitment under the "Agnipath" scheme to 23 years from 21 years for the year 2022 amid widespread protests against the new model for enrolment of soldiers into the three services.

Army Chief General Manoj Pande on Friday said the government's decision to raise the upper age limit to 23 years from 21 under the scheme for 2022 would provide an opportunity to the youths who were preparing to join the force but couldn't be recruited due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the last two years.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)