Diluting quality of training, professional opportunities in Army: Tharoor on Agniveer scheme

NEW DELHI: Coming out hard on the Centre over the Agniveer scheme, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that when the government creates a situation where soldiers can be trained for six months and serve for 3-4 years, it is diluting the quality of training and professional opportunities available to the Indian Army.

"The professional reputation of the Indian Army is extremely high around the world. It's considered one of the most professional armies in the world and maintaining that professionalism is in the interest of the entire nation.

When you create a situation where soldiers can be trained for 6 months and serve for 3-4 years, you are diluting the quality of training and professional opportunities available to the Indian Army," Tharoor said.

"I believe it is deeply damaging, the only rationale for it is indeed to save money on the pension and therefore I think that the Congress stands justified in its insistence that we will scrap the scheme when we come to power," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the Agnipath scheme during his address in Ladakh's Kargil on Friday on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas.

Highlighting the scheme, PM Modi said that the goal of Agnipath was to make the Army young and keep the Army continuously fit for war. He said that the major reforms in the army have been a long-standing demand.

"The country has felt the need for major reforms in the defence sector for decades. The army has been demanding this for years, but unfortunately, it was not given enough importance earlier.

The Agnipath scheme is also an example of the necessary reforms done in the Army. For decades, discussions have been going on in Parliament and many committees on making the army young," PM Modi said during his address.

Several BJP-ruled state chief ministers have announced reservations for Agniveers in their respective states.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said that the government has decided to give reservations to Agniveers in the police department and as prison guards and forest guards once they complete their service in the Indian Army.

Along with this, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also announced that his government will recruit most Agniveers into the state police. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced on Friday a 10 per cent quota and five-year age relaxation for Agniveers in uniform services.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced on Friday that Agniveer Jawans will receive reservations in the recruitment of police and armed forces in the state.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on Friday that Agniveers, after serving the country, will be given weightage in recruitment for the UP Police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) forces.

He mentioned that the nation would benefit from having trained and disciplined young soldiers in the form of Agniveers.