The Indian Navy had on July 2 begun the recruitment process under the scheme, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said, "a total of 3,03,328 applications received so far for Agniveer in the Indian Navy...3,03,328 applications received as on July 22."
Meanwhile, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Friday, said 2132 trains were cancelled between June 15 and June 23. Additionally, the Union Railway Minister said that Indian Railways suffered a loss of ₹259.44 crores due to damage and destruction of its assets in agitations against the Agnipath Scheme.
The minister further said, while responding in a written reply to a series of questions asked by Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh, "a separate data regarding the amount of refund granted to passengers due to disruption of rail services on account of public disorder consequent to agitation like those held after launching of Agneepath scheme is not maintained." However, the minister said, during the period from "June 14, 2022 to June 30, 2022, a total refund of approximately ₹102.96 crores was granted on account of cancellation of trains."
Notably, under the Agnipath scheme, youths between the ages of 17-and-a-half and 21 years would be inducted for a four-year tenure, while 25 per cent of them will be subsequently inducted for regular service. The scheme was unveiled on June 14, following which there were violent protests against it in several states for nearly a week and several opposition parties demanded its rollback.
The government had on June 16 increased the upper age limit for recruitment under the scheme to 23 years from 21 for the year 2022, and subsequently announced a slew of placatory steps like a preference for Agniveers in central paramilitary forces and defence public sector undertakings upon their retirement.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
