Promising a rollback of the Agnipath scheme, the Congress is planning to reach out to 35-40 lakh young men and women who, on average, appear for recruitment rallies each year as part of the ‘Jai jawan’ campaign.
Under Agnipath, men and women in the age group of 17.5 to 21 years are recruited for Army, Navy and Air Force for a four-year period. Not more than 25% of the total strength of the retiring batch is selected for the permanent cadre.
“Each year, 35-40 lakh personnel appear for the recruitment rallies. But since the Agniveer scheme has been launched, this number has drastically reduced. In 2023-24, only 10 lakh persons appeared for the rally. It clearly shows the simmering discontent and a feeling of betrayal,” a source in Congress said.
