Agnipath scheme: PM Modi to meet tri-service chiefs today

New Delhi, Jun 20: Amid the ongoing row over the Agnipath scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet the chiefs of three services - Army, Navy and Air Force - today, June 21.

The three service chiefs will meet the prime minister separately and would brief him on the Agnipath recruitment scheme government sources told ANI.

The meetings are being planned amid widespread protests in several states against the new military recruitment scheme. There was no official word about the meetings between the prime minister and the service chiefs.

The Agnipath scheme was launched last week and following protests, the central government has announced several support measures in the last few days to allay apprehensions surrounding the new recruitment scheme into the armed forces.

The Union Cabinet on June 14 approved a recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the three services of the Armed Forces called Agnipath and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as Agniveers.

After the policy, which allows Indian youths to serve in the regular cadre of the Armed Forces for a period of four years, was announced on June 14, protests erupted in various states including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand and Assam.

As the agitation intensified in some places, protestors went on the rampage setting trains on fire, torching vehicles and damaging both private and public properties.

Protests have disrupted rail services in several parts of the country. A total of 491 train services have been affected throughout the country due to the ongoing agitation, informed railway officials on Sunday.