New Delhi: Business leader Anand Mahindra on Monday expressed optimism about the Agnipath military scheme and opened the door of his company to 'Agniveers' highlighting their potential for employment in the corporate sector. The tweet from the 67-year-old chairman of the Mahindra group comes amid massive protest and a nationwide shutdown call on Monday. In his tweet, the leader said he was "saddened" by the violence over the scheme.
Mahindra, who is one of the first corporate leaders to welcome Agniveers in the corporate sector wrote: “When the scheme was mooted last year I stated-& I repeat-the discipline & skills Agniveers gain will make them eminently employable. The Mahindra Group welcomes the opportunity to recruit such trained, capable young people".
"Large potential for employment of Agniveers in the corporate sector. With leadership, teamwork & physical training, agniveers provide market-ready professional solutions to industry, covering the full spectrum from operations to administration & supply chain management (sic)," he added.
After the centre's announcement of the new 'Agnipath' scheme, angry mobs, especially in Bihar, burned trains, vandalised railway stations, and damaged properties as they pressurised the government to withdraw the Agnipath scheme.
In less than a week since the change was announced, almost 1,000 people have been arrested over agitations and violence spread over several states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Telangana.
Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have already announced the recruitment of Agniveer in-state jobs. On Sunday, the defence ministry and the home ministry announced that some of these recruits will be absorbed by the government departments.
The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) has decided to reserve 10 per cent vacancies in the central paramilitary forces and the Assam Rifles for ‘Agniveers’ after their four years of service in the armed forces, said Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday.
On Sunday, service chiefs clarified that the scheme won't be rolled back and came out with a broad schedule of enrolment under the new policy and asserted that it was aimed at bringing down the age profile of the armed forces.