AGNIPATH: THREE SERVICE CHIEFS LIKELY TO MEET PM MODI TOMORROW

(The Quiver): The chiefs of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi separately tomorrow (Tuesday, June 21) and brief him on the Agnipath recruitment scheme amid the ongoing nationwide protests, government sources told news agency ANI.

The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, provides for the recruitment of youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years to 21 for four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them. However, it has sparked protests from the youth all over the country. Several opposition parties have also backed the protests and urged the Centre to withdraw the scheme.

Meanwhile, ruling out any rollback of the scheme in view of widespread protests, the Army, Navy and the Air Force on Sunday came out with a broad schedule of enrolment of soldiers under the new policy and asserted that it is the only “progressive” step to bring down the age profile of the three services.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, said decisions and reforms may be unpleasant temporarily but with time the country will experience their benefits.

After inaugurating or laying the foundation for various developmental works in Karnataka on Monday, he said, “The path of reforms can alone take us towards new targets and new resolve. We have opened up the space and Defence sector which for decades were under government control.”