Army aspirants continued to protest in Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh on Thursday over the Ministry of Defence's new Agnipath scheme for recruitment of youth into the armed forces.

In the Kaimur district of Bihar, protesters set fire to a train at the Bhabua Road Railway Station.

"They are protesting on the railway tracks. We are trying to pacify them. We are making an effort to clear the railway track. We are monitoring the situation," Kaimur SP Rakesh Kumar said.

In UP's Bulandshahr, youth preparing for recruitment in the army took to the streets with tricolor and posters against the government's new scheme. As the protesters blocked the roads, some clashes were reported between the youth and the police, as the latter forcefully cleared the jam.

The protesters raised concerns about the four-year period for which the aspirants will be recruited.

Those who did this allegedly aspire to get into the Indian Army, one of the most disciplined forces in the world. pic.twitter.com/TCVm3t3oGw
#AgnipathRecruitmentScheme
— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) June 16, 2022

The Agnipath Scheme

Agnipath scheme allows for the induction of about 45,000 people aged 17.5 to 21 years into the military for a four-year period.

Furthermore, there will be a six-month training period during which they would be paid a monthly wage of Rs 30,000-40,000 as allowances. Candidates will be able to obtain insurance and medical benefits as well.

Only 25 percent of these troops will be retained after four years, and they will serve for a total of 15 years in non-officer ranks.

The remaining employees will receive a package worth between Rs 11 lakh and Rs 12 lakh when they leave the service, but they will not be eligible for pension benefits.

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