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.
With Ukraine closing its airspace after Russia launched a military operation in the country on Thursday, the Indian Embassy in Kiev has asked the Indian nationals to start moving towards the bordering areas so that they can be evacuated safely.
The Indian Embassy in Kiev stated that the helpline numbers are being set up at the respective check-points to facilitate evacuation through the borders. These control rooms will be based in Poland, Romania and Hungary and they will be managed by the Indian officials posted in those countries.
On Thursday, India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had stated that Jaishankar has spoken to concerned officials in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia for setting up camps on the border areas for evacuation of stranded Indian nationals.
An official spokesperson said the affected people or their relatives could call from within Punjab on helpline number 1100 and others from outside India on +91-172-4111905 for seeking information in this regard.
Amid crisis related to wearing of hijab in classrooms, an Amritdhari (baptised) Sikh girl was asked to remove her turban in the reputed Mount Carmel PU College here in accordance with the February 10 High Court's interim order. Some parents of the college also complained of being targeted after their daughters were asked to remove the hijab.
