Agnipath Scheme Gross Injustice to Country’s Youth: Mallikarjun Kharge Writes to President Droupadi Murmu

On Monday, Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge penned a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, shedding light on the "gross injustice" faced by the country's youth aspiring for regular employment in the armed forces due to the Agnipath scheme. Kharge urged the President to intervene and ensure justice for these individuals.

In his letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge expressed concern over the precarious future of nearly 200,000 young men and women. Their prospects have been cast into uncertainty due to the cessation of the regular recruitment process in the armed forces, as highlighted by Kharge.

The President is also the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. These youths spent years in pursuit of their dream and the resulting frustration and hopelessness has even led to several reported deaths by suicide, Kharge claimed. Our youth cannot be allowed to suffer in this manner. I appeal to you to ensure that NYAY and justice is done, he said.

In June 2022, the government launched the Agnipath recruitment scheme, aimed at short-term induction of personnel into the armed forces, with the objective of reducing the age profile across the three services. The scheme entails recruiting individuals aged between 17-and-a-half years and 21 years for a four-year term, with the option to retain 25 percent of them for an additional 15 years of service.