Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met tri-services chiefs at his residence to seek an update on the Agnipath scheme, which has courted controversy since last Tuesday’s launch, to transform the recruitment process of jawans in the armed forces.

Modi met General Manoj Pande, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and Admiral Hari Kumar a day after he said at a public meeting in Bengaluru that certain decisions might look unfair at present but will help in nation-building in the long run.

South Block was tight-lipped on the outcome of the PM’s meeting with the defence forces chiefs..

‘Good for youth’

The National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, who along with a joint secretary in the PMO were instrumental in pushing the scheme over the last two years despite initial reservations of the then chiefs of tri-services, credited Prime Minister for bringing in Agnipath contractual recruitment to modernise the armed forces. Doval said this in an interview with news agency ANI. While pitching that the scheme is good for youth, the NSA made it clear on Monday that “Agniveers will never constitute the whole army” and “rest of the Army will be made up of experienced people”.

Trying to allay apprehensions about post-service insecurities, Doval said ample employment opportunities for Agniveers would come up before they retire from the armed forces as India will be a $5-trillion economy and the private sector would employ disciplined and trained youth. The first batch, who will be inducted mid-next year, will retire by 2026. He also reiterated the government’s stand that the scheme will not be rolled back despite the fact that aspirants and others continue to protest against the scheme.

‘Vandalism unacceptable’

The NSA reached out to the people who have hit the street to damage public property, by stating that the right to protest exists in a democracy but vandalism is not accepted.

After the Army, Navy also released its schedule of the recruitment process on Monday.

Navy’s chief of personnel, Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi told reporters at a tri-service press briefing that the recruitment calendar has been brought forward to begin from Tuesday. The online registeration will start from July 1 and a detailed notification will be released on July 9, he said. Between July 15 to July 30, youth can apply online through the portal, with examination and physical expected sometime in mid-October. And joining at INS Chilka will commence from November 21, this year, Vice Admiral Tripathi explained.

Earlier Army had also made public its recruitment schedule given the fact it has to induct about 40,000 new jawans through Agnipath scheme. Air Force will also follow with its recruitment details.

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