Plea in SC challenges constitutional validity of Agnipath scheme
Darpan News Desk IANS, 20 Jun, 2022 10:30 AM
New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Agnipath scheme, to induct youth into all three armed forces for a period of four years.
The plea, filed by advocate M.L. Sharma sought a direction from the top court to quash the notification issued by the Ministry of Defence on June 14 announcing the scheme.
Noting that a large section of youth have started protesting against the scheme in various parts of the country, the plea said: "According to the impugned press note... dated 14.06.2022, after 4 years out of 100 per cent selected candidates for Permanent Commission in Indian Army, 25 per cent will be continued in Indian Army force and the rest 75 per cent will be retired/denied jobs in the Indian Army. During 4 years they will be paid salary and perk but after 4 years, denied candidates will get no pension etc."
The plea said the Central government, contrary to the constitutional provisions and without having approval from the Parliament and without any gazette notification, quashed the century-old army selection process and imposed the scheme on the country.
Citing a protest at ITO, New Delhi, the plea said: "Several students along with the members of All India Students' Association (AISA) on Friday staged a protest over the Central government's Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the armed forces and demanded its rollback."
"Holding placards, the students raised slogans against the government and sat in between the old Delhi Police headquarters and the Gate No 5 of the ITO Delhi Metro Station."
The plea said the scheme would cause a serious injury to the citizens, including to the Indian Army, which cannot be repaired if not quashed.
Over 700 Indian students are stuck in Sumy and they are running out of basic necessities like food and water and they have been urging the Indian government to get them evacuated from there.
Over 7,400 Indian nationals are expected to be evacuated under the 'Operation Ganga' in the next two days, the government said on Thursday. The Centre has initiated an airlift operation to evacuate Indians, who have found their way to the neighbouring countries of war-torn Ukraine.
This advisory, prepared by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, warns about aerial raids, missile attacks, artillery shelling, small arms and gunfire, grenade explosions and 'Molotov cocktails', including by local people/militia.
The flight IX-1202 with 183 passengers, including an infant, arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at around 5.40 a.m. The evacuees were received by Union Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Danve-Patil with flowers and words of solace as they trooped out lugging their belongings.
"Indian students are being pushed out of trains, they are not allowed to board, if questioned they are being assaulted and guns are being pointed at them,". There are many incidents where Indians were asked to leave bunkers. Ukraninans are telling Indian students that India is not supporting them and why should they help them?
The two leaders reviewed the situation, especially in the city of Kharkiv where many Indian students are stuck, and discussed the safe evacuation of Indian nationals from the conflict areas, an MEA statement said.
