Indian Issues, Indian Solutions: Lt. Gen Anil Puri On The Agnipath Scheme

Lt. Gen. Anil Puri, Additional Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, stated during a news conference on Tuesday that no other country has or would have a demographic dividend like India in the near future. As a result, Indian issues will necessitate Indian answers.

According to Puri, India would be the only country in the world with 50% of its people under the age of 25 in the coming years.

Puri explained that the Agnipath plan for recruiting into the Indian armed services was created with this population in mind.

The revelation comes just a few days after Gen Puri and other Indian military officials revealed the details of the scheme’s Agniveer recruitment process.

Last week, the government announced the radical and far-reaching ‘Agnipath’ scheme, deploying defence minister Rajnath Singh and the three Service chiefs to deflect criticism that it would undermine the armed forces’ professionalism, ethos, and fighting spirit, as well as lead to the militarization of civil society.

The Agnipath initiative, which was approved by the PM Modi-led cabinet committee on security, will begin recruiting 46,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen this year on a “all-India, all-class” basis.