CHANDIGARH: The central government’s much-touted Agnipath scheme, through which soldiers are to be selected for a short term of four years, has created unrest among the youngsters of Haryana who were already facing the severe employment crunch. As per CMIE data for May 2022, Haryana is the worst off with a 24.6% unemployment rate, the highest in the country. Test paper leaks and cancellations of a large number of recruitment processes run by the state agencies had already caused much discouragement among the employable youth of the state.
The armed forces are the biggest employer for the youngsters from Haryana. The potential candidates are thus worried about the vacancies and other conditions of recruitment under the new scheme.
A large number of youngsters can be seen exercising every morning and evening on the highways and canal banks in the state to be able to clear the physical fitness tests of the Army. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the recruitment rallies organised by the Indian Army could not be held, resulting in a large number of the eligible candidates becoming overage to participate in the selection process. Two such Army aspirants had even committed suicide recently because of the delay in the recruitment rallies.
Apart from defence services, Haryana’s youth are also dependent on agriculture as 65% population of the state lives in villages. However, with the expansion of families, the landholdings have shrunk, resulting in the youngsters looking for employment opportunities outside.
As the Agnipath scheme has reduced the service length from 15 to four years, the release from the Army after short service without lifelong pension and other benefits has also brought a sense of insecurity.
The state of Haryana has a strong martial heritage and history of joining armed forces for centuries. The Army’s premier infantry — Jat and Rajput Regiments — draws most of its troops from Haryana. Apart from the Army, youngsters from the state also join the Air Force and the Navy. There is apprehension that they may lose their share of vacancies in these special regiments. Even during the most recent conflict, the Kargil war, the small state of Haryana had suffered a significantly high number of casualties.
