New Delhi, 06 November (H.S.): The Indian Youth Congress has called for the complete withdrawal of the Agnipath recruitment scheme, arguing that the latest changes announced by the government have exposed shortcomings in its original framework. The organisation said the decision to extend the engagement period of Agniveers from four to six years and create a pathway towards regular recruitment raised fresh questions about the scheme’s long-term viability.

The Youth Congress maintained that instead of introducing partial amendments, the government should withdraw the scheme altogether and restore the system of permanent recruitment into the armed forces.

In a statement issued on Friday, Indian Youth Congress National President Uday Bhanu Chib said the country’s young people needed stable employment, dignity and security, rather than experiments with their future. He said candidates preparing for military recruitment had struggled for years and repeatedly sought justice, but the government had remained adamant in its position. With the first batch of Agniveers now approaching the end of its initial service tenure, the newly announced changes had raised further questions about their future, he added.

Chib said young people who had dedicated some of the most important years of their lives to serving the nation deserved certainty about their future, respect and service benefits on a par with those available to regular soldiers. He asserted that the Youth Congress would not allow their concerns to go unheard.

The organisation said a permanent, transparent and robust recruitment system was essential for safeguarding national security and strengthening the armed forces. It called for a framework that ensured the dignity and honour of military personnel, protected the career prospects of young recruits and preserved the institutional experience and operational capabilities of the armed forces.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar