"Phased, Progressive Training": Air Vice Chief On Concerns Around Agnipath
NDTV
Air Marshal Singh said that women will be inducted "gradually in a phased form in different branches".
Amid protests and opposition from various quarters, including some veterans and retired armed forces officers, on the recently launched Agnipath recruitment plan of the government, opinion has been sharply divided. While the Centre has called it a "radical recruitment plan" for the armed forces which is primarily aimed at cutting down salary and pension bills and freeing up funds for urgent procurement of weapons, critics have slammed the plan saying the duration of service is too short. There have been massive protests in Bihar opposing the scheme.
Under the scheme, about 45,000 people between the age of 17.5 years and 21 years will be inducted into the services for a four-year tenure. The recruitments will begin within the next 90 days and the first batch will be ready by July 2023.
While talking to NDTV, Air Marshal Sandeep Singh, who is currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff, said that while there were initial apprehensions, the issues have been resolved. "I can assure you that the skilling process or the training process for the Agniveers would be phased and progressive," he said.
On the concerns that in the case of the Indian Air Force where very skilled tradespeople like mechanics and technicians -- those who handle cutting edge state-of-the-art systems -- are trained, can we then afford to lose them after just four years, Air Marshal Singh said they will give these recruits a shorter training, which will basically be a capsule on essential military training and then certain trade or branch-specific preliminary training.
