Agnipath: Anand Mahindra, Harsh Goenka offer jobs to skilled Agniveers

Virendra Pandit 

New Delhi: India’s two leading corporate houses, Mahindra Group and the RPG Group, on Monday, came out with job offers for the skilled Agniveers after they complete four years of service in India’s armed forces which are currently busy rolling out the ambitious Agnipath scheme for youth willing to serve the nation.

The two leading business houses’ move came after a coalition of vested interests comprising anti-BJP political parties, coaching classes preparing youths for the armed forces, and professional agitators incited ill-informed youth that the Agnipath scheme would be detrimental to their future. They led them to join violence and arson, and the destruction of public and private properties in several states of the country since the last week’s announcement of the job scheme that promised 10 lakh new jobs in 18 months.

Despite agitation, the armed forces announced they are going ahead with their recruitment program and that the job-seekers will have to give affidavits they did not participate in the ongoing violence over the issue.

On Monday, the Indian Army notified the induction of youths under the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, saying the online registration on the force’s recruitment website is mandatory for all the job aspirants under the new model. This registration will begin in July.

The Army said Agniveers would form a distinct rank with a special insignia in the Indian Army, which would differ from any other existing ranks. They will be barred from disclosing classified information gained during the four-year service period to any unauthorized person or source under the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

“With the introduction of this scheme, the enrolment of soldiers in the regular cadre of the Indian Army, except technical cadres of medical branch, will be available only to those personnel who have completed their engagement period as Agniveer,” it said, adding the release of an Agniveer at own request prior to completion of terms of engagement will not be permitted, except in cases sanctioned by the competent authority.

The Army said the new recruits will be subjected to the Army Act, of 1950, and will be liable to go wherever ordered by land, sea, or air. Based on organizational requirements and policies, the Agniveers, on completion of their engagement period in each batch, will be offered an opportunity to apply for enrolment in the regular cadre.

The Agniveers will not have any right to be selected after the completion of their four-year tenure.

As part of the enrolment process, each Agniveer will be required to formally accept all terms and conditions of the Agnipath scheme. For personnel below the age of 18 years, the enrolment form will be required to be signed by the parents or guardians, according to the document.

The Agniveers will be eligible for 30 days leave in a year, as against 90 days for those in regular service. Medical leave will be granted based on medical advice.

The Army said 30 percent of the monthly salary of the Agniveers will be compulsorily deposited in a corpus and the government will contribute an equal amount.

Amid the ongoing agitation, some reports claimed that less than two percent of ex-servicemen could get jobs in the government after retirement and that thousands of posts remained vacant—but they hid the facts that these ex-servicemen, many of them unskilled for the jobs on offer, also got a pension.

Amid this selective misinformation campaign against the government, Mahindra Group chairperson Anand Mahindra took to social media on Monday saying he would welcome the opportunity to recruit skilled Agniveers.

RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka also promised employment to Agniveers.

Mahindra expressed his sadness at the violence that has marred the protests and said he would welcome the opportunity to recruit skilled Agniveers once their four-year stint with the armed forces is finished.

“Saddened by the violence around the #Agneepath program. When the scheme was mooted last year I stated-& I repeat-the discipline & skills Agniveers gain will make them eminently employable. The Mahindra Group welcomes the opportunity to recruit such trained, capable young people,” he tweeted.

“The RPG group, too, welcomes the opportunity to employ the Agniveers. I do hope other corporates will also join us to take this pledge and assure our youths of a future,” Goenka tweeted.

Several states in the country witnessed massive protests after the Centre announced the ‘Agnipath’ scheme on June 14, under which defense aspirants for the 17.5-23 age group will be recruited for four years.

After the completion of the four years, 75 percent of them will be relieved of their duties without a pension but with a cash Rs. 12 lakh to encourage them to start their own business or join another job in the state or central armed police forces. The remaining 25 percent will be retained and serve a 15-year tenure in the armed forces.