India – Agnipath Defense Policy

June 28, 2022

India – Agnipath Defense Policy 

Padmini Arhant

Update June 30, 2022: 

Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during the latest interview to ANI a week ago elaborated on the importance and relevance of the government introduced controversial defense recruitment policy titled Agnipath. 

In this interview, NSA chief defended Agnipath policy to contract the size of defense force personnel significantly from the traditional recruitment claiming the contemporary modern warfare as contactless and suggesting the need for such decision. 

While the military warfare scenario is projected as contactless by NSA chief Ajit Doval, such military operations are applicable only in full scale engagement as witnessed in the present Russia and Ukraine war.

Again even in this situation, the earlier phase of the military invasion from Russia on 24 February, 2022 and thereafter until arms supply from the United States and western Europe viz. Britain and France much later, the Ukrainian conventional and emergency voluntary defense force effectively resisted and retaliated against Russian movement on the ground. 

In the military position between China and India, China has incrementally advanced into Indian territories utilizing the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) command forces along LAC and further into Indian zone especially in the last three years remaining the status quo.

China’s strategy along LAC and Indian North East is predominantly premised on establishing footprints in the Indian landmass using PLA.

China’s encroachment is evidenced in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Sikkim, Assam and expected to extend along the Indian region as far as Himachal Pradesh. 

These conditions arguably necessitated massive troop deployment in the Himalayan region for Indian defense force having lost at least officially twenty and unofficially more martyred armed personnel in the recent China’s troop infringement along the Line of Action Control (LAC) evolved into aggressive confrontation on 5 May, 2020. 

As a result of the ongoing China’s incursion in the Himalayan and along the entire north east regions, the requirement to increase armed personnel presence to physically deal with neighbor China’s exponential expansionist territorial quest is a persisting dilemma for India in the Indian sub-continent. 

Under these circumstances, the government’s Agnipath policy aimed at reduction rather than maintaining the original strength if not enlargement  for ground preparedness creates considerable challenge. 

The Agnipath policy as contingent army reserve alongside traditional Indian defense force recruitment and managements serve the immediate and near term unpredictable crisis. 

The reinstatement of previous Indian defense force recruitment and service procedure adequately merit attention and implementation from the relevant department such as NSA and critically the Indian Defense Force barring political intervention. 

Padmini Arhant 

Author & Presenter 

PadminiArhant.com

Prakrithi.PadminiArhant.com

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lndian Civil Society Views on Agnipath.

Source – Satya Hindi. Thank you.

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Agnipath policy retire the 75% unsuccessful recruits at the age of 21 years considering the enrollment age is 17.5 years with four years in the defense force.

The overall experience for the discharged armed personnel in this program is approximately 2 to 2.5 years based on the relevant training and operational opportunity. 

In comparison, the traditional Indian defense force recruitment at 21 years as the median age with younger or older recruits representing the defense requirement developed and promoted skills exceeding the military combat capability while facilitating exceptional caliber. 

There are many fine examples from Indian Defense Force who successfully fought the war in 1971 against Pakistan and later the Kargil war in 1999. 

However, the Air Force veteran from the Indian Defense Force travel to space in India and Former Soviet Union Interkosmos mission in 1984 established a unique and admirable space voyage.  

The Air Force veteran is none other than Wing Commander Indian Air Force – Rakesh Sharma with the following profile. 

Astronaut — Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, AC (born 13 January 1949) is a former Indian Air Force pilot who flew aboard Soyuz T- 11

Wing Commander Indian Air Force Rakesh Sharma

Service 1970 – 1990 

 

images.jpg

 Date of Birth – 13 January, 1949

Years of service: 1970 – 1990  (20 years) 

Service number: 12396 F(P)

Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, AC is a former Indian Air Force pilot who flew aboard Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme. He is the only Indian citizen to travel in space.

Since the contemporary political culture especially the leadership at the helm as Prime Minister claim credit on any achievements as personal regardless of legitimacy, 

Accordingly, this phenomenal feat was a proud moment for India under the female leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who like her predecessors, her father the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in particular only remembered and reminded of all things negative and counterproductive  under his tenure by the current political party in power. 

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is constantly used for one and only one reason – overt emergency rule in 1975 unlike the present covert emergency in India which is obviously a major hypocrisy.

Nonetheless, the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s confidence in the Indian Defense Force that delivered her victory in 1971 and subsequently kept both China and Pakistan at bay during her term in office exemplify then Indian Defense Force autonomy.

Unfortunately, the same status is  not necessarily prevalent in the present time in the Indian Defense Force with the central political authority in New Delhi extending concentration of power on all institutions in India that were earlier relatively autonomous if not independent in respective decision-making process. 

As a result, then young vibrant ambitious Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma with adequate training in the span 14 years since inception in the Air Force in 1970 qualified aboard InterKosmos Soyuz T-11.

Personally, I recall as an Indian citizen at that time in New Delhi in 1984, the nation shared the joy and pride when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi interacted with the astronaut via satellite and asked the Wing Commander and Astronaut Rakesh Sharma for his reaction on

How earth appeared from the space above? 

The patriotic armed force pilot and Astronaut Rakesh Sharma enthusiastically responded by quoting Indian national song composed by Urdu Poet Muhammad Iqbal in Urdu language. 

Sare Jahan se Accha Hindustan Hamara !

Translation – Of all the places on earth, India is great.

“Sare Jahan se Accha” (Urdu: سارے جہاں سے اچھا; Sāre Jahāṉ se Acchā), formally known as “Tarānah-e-Hindi” (Urdu: ترانۂ ہندی, “Anthem of the People of Hindustan”),”

The glory and astonishing accomplishment from this mission deservingly earned by the Indian Defense Force and former Soviet InterKosmos team besides the astronaut Rakesh Sharma along with the crew back in 1984.

Notwithstanding the late lady Prime Minister Indira Gandhi only being targeted for political hostility in the domestic and external factions nuanced venom regurgitation, the trend with no end in sight. 

The late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the Indian Defense Force merit recognition for motivation and provision in deriving the best amongst the defense force personnel at that time. The cause for celebration was equitable on the outstanding  occasion. 

Contrarily, the highly educated and skilled unemployed youth today are instead demoralized with the incumbent leadership suggestion on the alternative employment to fry pakoras  – spicy Indian snack sold on the curb side by street hawkers in Indian street corners and bazaar. 

In conclusion, Agnipath diminish prospects to exhibit and explore talent due to the short term service and limited exposure for aspiring youth with such potential. 

All the more reason to reverse course and retain the traditional recruitment and service protocol to a minimum of 15 or more years in the Indian Defense Force. 

Padmini Arhant

Author & Presenter

PadminiArhant.com

Prakrithi.PadminiArhant.com

Written by Padmini Arhant · Filed Under Featured, Indian Sub-Continent, International Politics 

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