Centre announces reservations, age relaxations to ex-Agniveers in CISF, BSF
New Delhi, Jul 11: The chiefs of CISF and the BSF on Thursday said 10 per cent posts of constables will be reserved in their respective forces for former Agniveers in line with a decision by the Union Home Ministry.
The remarks by CISF Director General Nina Singh and her BSF counterpart Nitin Agrawal came amid fresh spotlight on the Agnipath recruitment scheme for short-term induction of personnel in the Army, Navy and the Air Force.
"The Union Home Ministry has taken an important decision regarding the recruitment of ex-Agniveers. Accordingly, the CISF is also preparing the process of the recruitment of ex-Agniveer," Singh said.
The chief of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) said 10 per cent jobs will be reserved for ex-Agniveers in all future appointments of constables.
"In physical tests also, they will be given exemption along with the relaxation on the age. In the first year the age relaxation is for five five years and in the subsequent year, the age relaxation will be three years," she told DD News.
"Ex-Agniveer will be able to take advantage of this and the CISF will ensure that. This will be beneficial for the CISF too as the force will get trained and disciplined personnel," Singh said.
In June 2022, the government rolled out the Agnipath recruitment scheme with an aim to bring down the age profile of the three services.
The Agnipath scheme provides for recruiting youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years and 21 for four years with a provision to retain 25 percent of them for 15 more years.
Several opposition parties including the Congress have been targeting the government over the scheme wondering what will happen to 75 per cent of the Agniveers after their four-year tenure ends as only 25 per cent of the total recruits will be retained for 15 years.
Various central government agencies and departments have already announced plans to recruit former Agniveers.
"They got four years of experience. They are fully disciplined and trained personnel. This is very good for the BSF as we are getting trained soldiers. After short training, they will be deployed along the border," said Border Security Force (BSF) director general Agrawal.
He said all the security forces will be benefitted by recruiting former Agniveers.
"We are waiting for them to be deployed after giving conversion training, they will be deployed. 10 per cent of the total vacancies will be reserved for them," he said.
"There will be age relaxation for them as well. The first batch will get five years of age relaxation and the subsequent batches will get three years of age relaxation," he told DD News.
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
