Hundreds of defence aspirants are protesting in Haryana urging the government to restart the Army recruitment process, which has been put on hold for two years because of the pandemic. The big fear is that they will not be eligible if they surpass the age eligibility criteria
The defence aspirants want the age criteria to be relaxed because recruitments were on hold for two years. AFP
The past few weeks have seen occasional protests in Haryana over defence recruitment. Protesters are urging the government to lift the suspension of the Army recruitment process. They have also complained that the Indian Navy and Air Force hirings have slowed down.
Why have army recruitments been put on hold?
The Army hirings were put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been no recruitment rallies since March 2020.
Two months ago, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in the Rajya Sabha that the recruitment process in the Indian Army has been suspended for the past two years because of the pandemic.
“All recruitment rallies planned by Army Recruiting Offices (AROs)/Zonal Recruiting Offices (ZROs) have been suspended until further orders due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country,” Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha in response to a question from several members of Parliament (MPs).
What triggered the protests?
Hundreds of job aspirants from the state, who are looking to find jobs in the armed forces, are concerned that they might be rendered overage since no recruitment rallies have been held for two years.
The matter came to a head after a 23-year-old army aspirant died by suicide at a government school in a village in Haryana’s Bhiwani district on 28 April. According to his father, the youth wanted to join the Army but could not because of the pandemic and had crossed the upper-age limit for eligibility.
The anger over the suicide led to protests in the Tosham area of Bhiwani. Army aspirants also took to the streets near Hisar on 8 May. Agitations were held in Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jind, Panipat and Kaithal. In Rohtak, a protest march was taken out on 17 May, reports The Indian Express.
Popular Haryanvi singer KD Singh, who recently joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), participated in the protest in Tosham on Monday. He said that it was unfair for those who want to join the defence forces that there has been no recruitment for two years.
Protesters are demanding that the age limit for recruitment to the Army be relaxed because of the suspension.
More protesters are likely to erupt in the coming days. The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has now threatened to mobilise youth in Haryana and neighbouring Rajasthan to join the protests, the Express report says.
For the position of a soldier (general duty), candidates must be between 17.5 to 21 years of age. PTI
What’s the age limit to join the Army?
There are various age and educational criteria to be eligible for the Indian Army.
For the position of a soldier (general duty) (all arms) candidates must be between 17.5 to 21 years of age. Those willing to apply for the post of soldier technical (technical arms, artillery, army air defence), soldier clerk/store leeper technical (all arms), soldier nursing assistant veterinary (Remount Veterinary Corps), soldier tradesmen (all arms except syce, mess keeper and house keeper), or soldier nursing assistant (Army Medical Corps) must be within 17.5 to 23 years.
Those willing to join Sepoy Pharma (Army Medical Corps) must be within 19 to 25 years, for survey automated cartographer (Engineers), and Havildar Education (Army Education Corps) candidates must be between 20-25 years. Junior Commissioned Officer Religious Teacher (all arms) must be between 25 to 34 years. Junior Commissioned Officer Catering (Army Service Corps) between 21 to 27 years of age and for the posts of soldier (General Duty) women military police candidates must be between 17.5 to 21 years of age, according to the Indian Army website.
How many people from Haryana are in the army?
In Haryana, joining the defence forces is a tradition of sorts.
“A fauji receives huge respect in Haryana’s rural areas. There are families which have been part of the Army for the past 5 to 6 generations. These families want to maintain these traditions,” Lt Gen DP Vats (retd), BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana,” told The Indian Express.
Haryana has the sixth-highest number of soldiers serving in the Indian Army. The strength of Army personnel from Haryana is 65,987, according to the Ministry of Defence. Haryana accounts for 5.7 per cent of the rank and file whereas its share of the national population is 2.09 per cent.
With inputs from agencies
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