Youth to benefit from increase in Agnipath age limit, says Shah

New Delhi: The Centre's decision to increase the upper age limit for joining the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in defence services will benefit a large number of youth, Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday.

He said the recruitment process in the Army had been affected for the last two years due to the coronavirus pandemic and Prime Minister Modi has taken a sensitive decision by showing concern for the youth of the country.

"The recruitment process in the Army was affected due to the corona pandemic for the last two years, so Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji has taken a sensitive decision, showing concern for the youth, to give them two years concession in the age limit from 21 years to 23 years in the first year of Agnipath scheme," Shah said in a tweet in Hindi.

A large number of youth will benefit by this decision. Through the Agnipath scheme, they will move forward in the service to the country and their bright future, he said. "I thank @narendramodi ji," he added.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said the decision to raise the upper age limit will benefit those who have fallen out of the age bracket to join the armed forces. "The decision to relax the age limit from 21 years to 23 years for candidates of Agnipath Yojana will benefit those who have fallen out of the age bracket to join the armed forces. Gratitude to Hon'ble PM on this move," he said.

Lauding the government's decision, BJP president J P Nadda said that it shows that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fully seized of the concerns of the country's youth and is making efforts for their bright future.

Union minister and former Army chief General V K Singh (retd) accused the opposition parties of creating a controversy over the scheme for short-term recruitment in the defence forces by "provoking" people. Since the Opposition has nothing else to do, it is stoking a controversy over the scheme even before its implementation has started, he alleged.

Speaking to reporters at the Nagpur airport over the violent protests and opposition to the new recruitment scheme, he said, "There is no controversy in the scheme, but a controversy is being created by the opposition, which has nothing else to do. They are being surrounded by the ED..." "People are being told wrong things and being provoked. Where is the controversy when the scheme is yet to get started?" he added.

Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said the government's decision to raise the upper age limit will provide an opportunity to the youths who were preparing to join the force but couldn't do so in the last two years due to the pandemic.

"The decision of the government has been received to grant a one-time waiver, increasing the entry age of recruitment to 23 years, for the recruitment cycle of 2022," the Army Chief said.

"This decision will provide an opportunity for many of our young, energetic and patriotic youth who, despite the COVID pandemic, were preparing to join the recruitment rallies, which couldn't be completed in the last two years due to COVID restrictions," he said.