Delhi HC upholds constitutional validity of Agnipath scheme

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said the Central Government scheme has been introduced in national interest

The Delhi High Court. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Delhi High Court on February 27 upheld the validity of the Agnipath scheme for the temporary recruitment of youths into the armed forces.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad dismissed a bunch of petitions challenging the Central Government’s scheme and maintained that it has been introduced in “national interest”.

In December last year, the Delhi High Court had reserved its verdict on petitions concerning the recruitment processes.

The Agnipath scheme was unveiled in June last year outlining rules for armed forces recruitment. Under the scheme, around 46,000 soldiers between the ages of 17.5 and 21 years — who would be known as “Agniveers” — will be recruited into the three services for a period of four years on a short-term contractual basis. Later, the government extended the upper age limit to 23 years for recruitment in 2022.

After this period, only 25% of the selected candidates will be absorbed into permanent positions while the others will be retired.

The scheme’s introduction triggered widespread protests across several parts of the country, particularly in the wake of rising unemployment and inflation. A ballooning section of job aspirants complained that the scheme does not offer pensions and social security benefits for Agniveers who will be left unemployed after four years of service.