Agnipath: Rajnath Singh's second meeting with tri-service chiefs underway

Agnipath: Rajnath meets tri-service chiefs underway

New Delhi, Jun 19: As protests against the Centre's Agnipath scheme continue in several parts of the country, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is holding another meeting at his residence on Sunday.

The tri-service chiefs are attending the meeting to discuss the rollout of the scheme and ways to pacify agitators, sources informed ANI. This is the second such meeting called by Rajnath Singh in two days. In a significant move, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday announced an important decision to reserve 10 per cent vacancies in Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles for Agniveers.

In a series of tweets, the Ministry of Home Affairs said, "The Ministry of Home Affairs decides to reserve 10 per cent vacancies for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles for Agniveers." "The MHA also decides to give 3 years age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit to Agniveers for recruiting in CAPFs and Assam Rifles. Further, for the first batch of Agniveer, the age relaxation will be for 5 years beyond the prescribed upper age limit," the MHA added.

It is pertinent to note that, upon completion of their four years tenure, Agniveers will be getting selection priorities under CAPF's all the seven different security forces comprising Assam Rifles (AR), Border Security Forces (BSF), Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF), Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF), Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Security Guard (NSG) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

Earlier speaking of the employment opportunities for Agniveers, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that upon completion of four years of Agniveers many central ministers and state governments including Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and corporations will give them job priorities. "In coming days you will get the announcement by various governments and ministries regarding the priority in job opportunities to Agniveers," the Defence Minister added.

Earlier, in a welcome move, the government had announced a change in recruiting 'Agniveers', increasing the maximum entry age from 21 years to 23 years by giving two years of relaxation as a one-time waiver. Granting a one-time waiver, the Union government declared that the Agniveer upper age limit for recruitments via Agnipath Scheme has been extended to 23 years from 21 years. Issuing an official statement on Agnipath Scheme, the Ministry of Defence mentioned that the one-time waiver in the upper age limit has been granted as recruitment during the two years had not been possible.