The Central Government’s new military recruitment scheme is a disaster in the making and a danger to India’s sovergnity. For the last two years the regular military recruitment has not taken place. As of 2021 the Indian army had a shortage of 104,653 personnel. Adding insult to injury, the Central government has now decided to completely do-away with regional quotas, and has decided to go with short-tenure conscription of four years, including the 6 months training period. After four years around three-fourth of the soldiers will be retired without pension or gratuity.
The policy will result in generating around 35,000 jobless recruits looking for other work each year, leading militarisation of society over time. The policy will also drastically affect the morale and professionalism of the forces that defend our sovergnity. The armed forces also served a source of secure and long-term employment for lakhs of youth every years. This policy will put and end to that for good. The neo-liberal path followed by central government involves the contractualisation of every job possible. This has led to the complete annihilation of the job security and financial stability of working people of this country. Through this policy the government has also opened the doors to mercenary recruitment of trained and unemployed soldiers by the imperialist forces of the world.
The Central executive committee of Students’ Federation of India vehemently opposes these neo-liberal attacks on the Indian people and our sovereignty. SFI demands the immediate repealing of the Angipath Scheme, and conducting regular recruitment to the armed forces.
