A few days after the Central government announced Agnipath Yojana, aspirants obstructed road and railway traffic in several parts of India. Let me tell you that the scheme envisions recruiting army personnel on a contractual basis for a 4-year period followed by mandatory retirement for most without compensation or pension benefits.
On Thursday, agitators in numerous regions of the nation turned violent, burning tyres, vandalizing buses, and setting trains on fire while shouting slogans against the Agnipath program.
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Protests against the Agnipath recruiting plan erupted throughout numerous states, including Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and others, as demonstrators voiced worries over job security and pensions. Protesters flocked to the streets in huge numbers, shouting slogans against the Agnipath Yojana.
Many people carried posters and set fire to tyres to protest against the scheme. The protestors, who staged a protest against the Centre, expressed concerns about the future of their services, citing the scheme’s requirement that just 25% of troops enlisted serve for the whole period.
Anand Mahindra speaks on Agnipath Yojana
Industrialist Anand Mahindra also reacted to these protests and also makes an offer to job seekers. Taking to the Twitter, he wrote,
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
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) June 20, 2022
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After that a user questioned what jobs Agniveers will be hired for at Mahindra
“What post will be given by mahindra group to #aganiveer ?”
What post will be given by mahindra group to #aganiveer ?
— Sandeep Kumar (@Sandeepkumark0) June 20, 2022
To which the industrialist replied,
“Large potential for employment of Agniveers in the Corporate Sector. With leadership, teamwork & physical training, agniveers provide market-ready professional solutions to industry, covering the full spectrum from operations to administration & supply chain management”
Large potential for employment of Agniveers in the Corporate Sector. With leadership, teamwork & physical training, agniveers provide market-ready professional solutions to industry, covering the full spectrum from operations to administration & supply chain management https://t.co/iE5DtMAQvY
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) June 20, 2022
Since then, lots of people are praising him for giving such opportunities to potential Agniveers while some are also criticising him for taking a stand in support of this scheme.
On Monday, trying to express similar thoughts, top Indian business leaders, including the Chairman of RPG Industries, Harsh Goenka and the Chairperson of Biocon Ltd, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, MD of TVS Motor Company, Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals Group, Sangita Reddy and many more, reacted to Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra’s tweet by pledging their support for the protest-plagued Agnipath army recruitment plan, citing its possibilities for youth employment in the corporate sector.
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. https://t.co/PE7Hc1y1W9
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) June 20, 2022
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While veterans have said that the four-year term makes troops more risk cautious, protestors have stated that they are unsure what they will do once their term is up. Agniveers would be given precedence in paramilitary forces and government posts, according to the centre. Despite the complaints, the government has said that there are no plans to reverse the policy.
What are your views on Anand Mahindra’s offer?
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