Shuriah Niazi
19 June 2022•Update: 20 June 2022
NEW DELHI
A senior Indian army official said on Sunday that the recently unveiled army recruitment scheme will not be rolled back.
Many parts of the country have seen extensive violent protests against the scheme, with protesters demanding that the government reinstate the old system.
"It is the only progressive step to make the country young," said Lt. Gen. Anil Puri, additional secretary in the Department of Military Affairs, during a joint press briefing with officials from the air force and navy.
The department's annual intake will be increased to 125,000 in the future. However, the government plans to recruit 46,000 people this year, Puri said.
Referring to the protests, he said "there is no space for arson, vandalism," and that "every individual will have to give a certificate that they were not part of protests or vandalism."
“Police verification is a must before joining the defense forces,” he added.
Under the new recruitment system announced by the government on Tuesday, those aged 17-21 will get an opportunity to serve in the army for four years. But after four years, only 25% of them will be retained. This means that only 25 out of 100 candidates will get a permanent job in the army.
Meanwhile, police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh have arrested nine people after formally charging them with arson attacks, and several others have been detained for questioning about their alleged involvement in violent agitations and instigating youth protests against the new military recruitment scheme.
On Friday, at least one person was killed in a violent protest in Telangana. Protesters in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Haryana set fire to at least 12 trains and numerous buses. Train services remained disrupted across the country, with numerous trains canceled or re-routed.
