• Centre refutes Opposition’s ‘caste, religion’ allegations over Agnipath scheme

    National
    Centre refutes Opposition’s ‘caste, religion’ allegations over Agnipath scheme

    The Indian Army had previously asserted that the Agnipath scheme's conditions, including the need for caste and religious certifications, had not changed. color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">

    color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">Digital Desk: The Union Defense Minister,
    Rajnath Singh, dismissed as "rumours" the claims made by the
    Opposition on Tuesday that applicants for the Agnipath initiative must present
    their caste and religion certificates and insisted that the application
    procedure has not altered.



    color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">It's only a rumour, I say. The system has not
    altered since it was established before independence. There has been no change.
    According to Singh, the former method is still in place.



    color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">The Indian Army had previously asserted that
    the Agnipath scheme's conditions, including the need for caste and religious
    certifications, had not changed.



    color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">"There has always been a requirement for
    candidates to provide caste certificates and, if appropriate, religious
    certifications. The military claims "Religion is also required to carry
    out last rites in accordance with the religious protocol for recruits who pass away
    during training and soldiers who die while on duty. In this way, the Agniveer
    hiring process has remained unchanged.



    color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">A screenshot of the Indian Army's recently
    released recruiting notification was leaked earlier today by Aam Admi Party
    (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh, who claimed that the Centre was requesting caste and
    religion certifications in order to apply for army recruitments under the
    Angnipath programme.



    color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">In Modi's opinion, do Dalits, tribal people,
    and those from disadvantaged backgrounds not meet the requirements for military
    enlistment? The practice of asking questions about caste during "army
    recruiting" is new to India. According to reports, the AAP leader remarked,
    "Modi ji, you want to develop "Agniveer" or
    "Jaativeer"."



    color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">The Janata Dal (United) leader Upendra
    Kushwaha brought up the topic by questioning why caste certificates were being
    provided if reservations were not being made available through the Agnipath
    initiative.



    I'm
    surprised that hiring Agniveers into the defence forces requires a caste
    certificate. The individual questioned why caste certificates were being
    required given that the Agnipath scheme does not provide for reservations



    color:black;mso-themecolor:text1">Anurag Thakur, a union minister, refuted the
    opposition's accusations, asserting that political organizations like the AAP
    are deceiving young people. Recruitment is governed by the Army Rules of 1954
    and the Defence Service Regulation of 1987. AAP, among other parties, seeks to mislead.
    The information that was acquired earlier remains unchanged," he stated.



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