Lt. Gen. KJS Dhillon and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Discuss Agniveer Scheme Amid Controversy
Retired Army professional Lt. Gen. KJS Dhillon stated that the Agniveer Scheme will receive thorough feedback from the Army. He noted that the scheme was implemented after extensive consideration and that the first batch hasn’t yet completed its four-year term.
Gen. Dhillon said, “The Agniveer scheme was introduced after a lot of deliberations. It has just begun, and the first batch has not completed its four years. The Army has a very strong system of feedback. Whatever improvements are needed, the Army does proper deliberations.”
On political discussions surrounding the scheme, Gen. Dhillon said that these things don’t affect the Army. “The morale of the Army has always been high and will remain high. These things don’t affect the Army’s morale,” he said.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren criticized the scheme, calling it a fraud on the youth. He said, “Agniveer is a controversial scheme. Attempts are being made to hide the shortcomings of the Agniveer scheme, and it is a big fraud on the youth of the nation. The scheme is not good for the youth.”
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in an address to the Rajya Sabha, asked the opposition to refrain from politicizing the scheme. She said, “I hope on matters related to the fitness and battle readiness of the Indian Army, we don’t do politics. We need young, fit, battle-ready people who are going to be trained. Agniveer is a scheme that we brought in with a great sense of commitment to keep our Armed forces battle-ready and young. One of the expected outcomes of the scheme is that the armed forces will have a much younger force by recruiting those in the age group of 17-21 years. I don’t think there is a need for us to unnecessarily worry that this is causing some kind of distortion. Not at all. It is with the acceptance of the armed forces that it has been brought in.”
Doubts Revealed
Lt. Gen. KJS Dhillon -: Lt. Gen. KJS Dhillon is a retired high-ranking officer from the Indian Army. ‘Lt. Gen.’ stands for Lieutenant General, which is a senior position in the military.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman -: Nirmala Sitharaman is a politician in India who manages the country’s finances, like a big piggy bank. She decides how money is spent and saved for the country.
Agniveer Scheme -: The Agniveer Scheme is a new plan for recruiting young people into the Indian Army. It aims to keep the army young and ready for action.
controversy -: Controversy means a lot of people are arguing or disagreeing about something. In this case, people have different opinions about the Agniveer Scheme.
morale -: Morale is how happy and confident people feel. High morale means the soldiers are feeling good and positive.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren -: Hemant Soren is the leader of the state of Jharkhand in India. A Chief Minister is like the head of a state government.
fraud -: Fraud means cheating or tricking people. Hemant Soren thinks the Agniveer Scheme is not honest and is tricking young people.
politicize -: Politicize means to make something a topic for political debate. Nirmala Sitharaman is asking people not to turn the Agniveer Scheme into a political argument.
battle-ready force -: A battle-ready force means soldiers who are prepared and fit to fight in wars or conflicts at any time.