Defense Minister Rajnath Singh talks about Project Agnipath

“And if we find any shortcomings in them, then we are ready to correct them as well,” he added (File)

New Delhi:

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday defended the Agnipath programme, stressing that the future of young people joining Agniveers would not be affected, although he said the government was “open” to make any changes to it “if required”.

In a fireside chat on the closing day of the event Times Now Summit Here, replying to a question about criticism of the programme, Mr Singh said such questions were “baseless” and stressed that everyone would accept that the Armed Forces should have a youthful image.

Recruiting young people will make the armed forces more adventurous and more technologically savvy soldiers, he said.

This is the age of technology and Indian youth should also be tech-savvy. Singh said the youths were recruited as Agnivirs under this scheme.

He said it was “guaranteed” these young people’s futures would not be affected by the scheme.

During the interaction, the defense minister also maintained that India and its borders are “completely secure” and the people of the country should have full confidence in the armed forces.

Regarding the Agnipath program, the Defense Minister stated that “regardless of the changes that may occur to the system and further consideration of its future, provision of service bookings, all of this has been guaranteed”.

“And if we find any shortcomings in it, then we are ready to correct them as well,” he added.

The minister said the government would be “willing to make changes if necessary”.

He also said in previous interactions that “everyone will accept the fact that the military should be younger.”

“Normally, the age range of our soldiers is 30-50 years. But when soldiers aged 18-20 years join Agniveers, the spirit of adventure is a little higher.” He added that senior soldiers are discharging their responsibilities well , there are no two ways about it.

In June 2022, the Center launched the Agnipath recruitment scheme for short-term enlistment of personnel with an aim to bring down the age structure of the three services.

The scheme provides for the recruitment of youths in the age group of 17 and a half to 21 years for a period of four years, with 25% retained for a further 15 years.

During the event, the Defense Minister also shared anecdotes from his nearly 50 years in politics.

Asked about his reaction to the India-China border issues raised by many, including opposition members, Singh said the issues never made him feel uncomfortable.

“I will tell them (the opposition) as much as I can in the interest of the country. But in defence, there are a lot of things of strategic importance that we cannot tell them openly. We try to avoid telling them these things, whether it is ( About) the northern, western or eastern regions,” he said.

“I want to assure the people of the country… that they should have full confidence in our military and security personnel,” Mr Singh said.

Indian and Chinese armies have been locked in a three-and-a-half-year standoff at certain friction points in eastern Ladakh, even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas after extensive diplomatic and military talks.

He added: “I served as defense minister for five years and before that as home affairs minister and I want to reassure people across the country based on what I have seen, understood and assessed that our borders and our country are completely secure of.”

On May 5, 2020, the border standoff in eastern Ladakh broke out after violent clashes occurred in the Pangong Lake area.

Relations between India and China deteriorated sharply after violent clashes in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 marked the worst military conflict between the two countries in decades.

After a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process on the north shore of Pangong Lake and Gogra area in 2021.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)