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.
Slamming Amarinder Singh for his "myopic" mindset towards the poor, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said on Friday that the former CM targeted him because he had raised issues of the common man.
Accepting a farm activist's revocation application to revoke the varietal registration of Pepsico India Holding on potato variety FL-2027, The Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers' Rights (PPV&FR) Authority on Friday revoked the registration, the multinational had. Even at the global level, this is the first time that the multinational had to face such a defeat.
Days after the Parliament repealed the three contentious farm laws, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) will be holding a crucial meeting on Saturday to discuss whether to end the over-an-year- old agitation, among other issues. The meeting will be held at the Singhu Border camp site, which acted as the headquarters for the SKM.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced to provide high quality free education to the children of Punjab in government schools, if his party forms the government.
Reiterating his government's commitment to implement each and every decision in the right earnest, Channi said that notwithstanding the time constraint, his government would leave no stone unturned to resolve the remaining issues.
With farmers protesting at the Delhi borders for over a year, several incidents of protestors clashing with the Delhi Police have been reported. Here Delhi Police have deployed extra personnel and they often talk to the farmers leaders and Haryana Police to maintain peace.
