The Evening Wrap: No rollback of Agnipath scheme, says Army official

The Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the armed forces will not be rolled back, a senior military official said as the three Services announced the recruitment schedule for the first batch of Agniveers, with the training set to commence by year end. “There is no space for indiscipline in the armed forces. No space for arson. Every one who aspires to join Agnipath has to give an undertaking that they have not taken part in any arson… There will be police verification after that,” said Lt. General Anil Puri, Additional Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs. The announcement came after a meeting between Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the three Service Chiefs. Air Marshal S.K. Jha said notification and registration process for enrollment of first batch will go live online from June 24 through the well established online system of the Indian Air Force. Navy’s Chief of Personnel Vice-Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi said they have already started working on the process and the advertisement will reach the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting by June 25 and the process would start within one month. “By November 21 the first batch of Agniveers will report at our training centre INS Chilka. The Agniveers will be gender neutral. Women will also be inducted,” he said. Meanwhile, the protests against the scheme continued in several States. Several Opposition leaders criticised the move and pushed for its withdrawal, while the government continued to defend it. The Congress organised a “satyagraha” at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar against the scheme. Speaking at the protests, party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “You dream about getting recruited in the army. A job that will help you take care of your family and the country. There is no bigger patriot than you. And I would say that you must keep your eyes open to recognise the fake nationalists and fake patriots,” to the youth. In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi also said, “By repeatedly giving false hope of jobs, the prime minister has forced the youth of the country to walk on the ‘Agnipath’ of unemployment.” However, Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said that the youth protesting against the scheme are unaware of its benefit and urged them to end the protests. India clears emergency visas for 111 Afghan Hindus, Sikhs, hours after Kabul gurdwara attack Hours after the terrorist attack at a gurdwara in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) granted emergency visas to 111 Hindus and Sikhs from the country, hours after the attack. All 111 people had applied for the visa in September 2021. Only 159 minorities remain in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control in August 2021, including three members who do not have any passport. The community had been petitioning the government to clear the visas after the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) issued threats two-weeks ago as a retaliation against the controversial statement made against the Prophet by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. An Afghan Sikh and a security guard were killed in the attack, claimed by the ISKP, has restarted the debate over whether India should continue with its plans to reopen its embassy in Kabul. In particular, Indian intelligence sources believe the IS-K is linked to Pakistan and the attack could also be a “message” from the neighbouring country to both Kabul and New Delhi, given talks with the Taliban on India’s re-entry to Afghanistan. Over 400 arrested, 20 FIRs registered in Uttar Pradesh over protests against remarks on the Prophet The Uttar Pradesh Police have so far arrested 415 people and registered 20 FIRs in connection with the violent protests that erupted in the state over the now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s remarks on Prophet Mohammed. Violence broke out in Kanpur on June 3 and in nine other districts of the State on June 10 after protests against Ms. Sharma’s remarks during a TV debate spun out of control. At least 40 people, including 20 police personnel, were injured in the violence in Kanpur. Three FIRs each have been registered in Kanpur Police Commissionerate and Saharanpur, seven in Prayagraj and one each in Firozabad, Aligarh, Hathras, Moradabad, Ambedkarnagar, Kheri and Jalaun, police said. Further, 97 people have been arrested in Prayagraj, 85 in Saharanpur, 58 in Kanpur, 41 in Ambedkarnagar, 40 in Moradabad, 35 in Hathras, 20 in Firozabad, eight in Kheri, six in Aligarh and five in Jalaun. Hijab row | Petitions filed by students in limbo in Supreme Court The appeals filed in the Supreme Court challenging Karnataka High Court’s conclusion that wearing hijab is not an essential practice in Islam has been in limbo for several months. The petitions, filed mostly by affected girl students, raised the question whether the State could interfere if a student wore a hijab to college without causing any harm to others and under the firm belief that it was a part of her religious observance and practice. The students also brought to the fore the issue whether a woman’s dignity and the right to access to education should suffer because her dress code could not be accommodated by the authorities of an educational institution. The Supreme Court in the S. R. Bommai case of 1994 had observed that “religious freedom is the hallmark of pluralism and inclusiveness”. The Constituent Assembly debates note how the establishment of a secular State was an act of faith, the onus on the majority community to show that they could behave towards others in a generous, fair and just way. The case was repeatedly mentioned in court during March and April for urgent hearing. The court had assured that they would be listed. However, the appeals remain to be heard. This, despite the fact that in February, the Supreme Court had assured the students protection of their constitutional rights and intervention at an “appropriate time”. In Brief West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is unlikely to participate in the Opposition meeting convened by NCP chief Sharad Pawar on June 21 on the upcoming presidential poll due to prior engagements, a Trinamool Congress functionary said. However, a senior TMC leader will be present at the proposed meeting. A similar meeting was convened by Ms. Banerjee previously on June 15 which was attended by 17 Opposition parties to decide on a candidate of the joint Opposition in the presidential election. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow [logo] The Evening Wrap 19 JUNE 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( No rollback of Agnipath scheme, says Army official The [Agnipath scheme]( for recruitment in the armed forces [will not be rolled back]( a senior military official said as the three Services announced the recruitment schedule for the first batch of Agniveers, with the training set to commence by year end. “There is no space for indiscipline in the armed forces. No space for arson. Every one who aspires to join Agnipath has to give an undertaking that they have not taken part in any arson… There will be police verification after that,” said Lt. General Anil Puri, Additional Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs. [Department of Military Affairs Additional Secretary Lt. General Anil Puri addresses a press conference at the Defence Ministry in South Block, New Delhi on June 19, 2022. ] The announcement came after a meeting between Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the three Service Chiefs. Air Marshal S.K. Jha said notification and registration process for enrollment of first batch will go live online from June 24 through the well established online system of the Indian Air Force. Navy’s Chief of Personnel Vice-Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi said they have already started working on the process and the advertisement will reach the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting by June 25 and the process would start within one month. “By November 21 the first batch of Agniveers will report at our training centre INS Chilka. The Agniveers will be gender neutral. Women will also be inducted,” he said. Meanwhile, the protests against the scheme continued in several States. Several Opposition leaders criticised the move and pushed for its withdrawal, while the government continued to defend it. The [Congress organised a “satyagraha” at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar]( against the scheme. Speaking at the protests, party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “You dream about getting recruited in the army. A job that will help you take care of your family and the country. There is no bigger patriot than you. And I would say that you must keep your eyes open to recognise the fake nationalists and fake patriots,” to the youth. [In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi]( also said, “By repeatedly giving false hope of jobs, the prime minister has forced the youth of the country to walk on the ‘Agnipath’ of unemployment.” However, Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said that the youth protesting against the scheme are unaware of its benefit and urged them to end the protests. India clears emergency visas for 111 Afghan Hindus, Sikhs, hours after Kabul gurdwara attack Hours after the terrorist attack at a gurdwara in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday, [the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) granted emergency visas to 111 Hindus and Sikhs]( from the country, hours after the attack. All 111 people had applied for the visa in September 2021. Only 159 minorities remain in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control in August 2021, including three members who do not have any passport. [A Taliban fighter stands guard at the site of an attack on a gurdawara in Kabul on June 18, 2022. ] The community had been petitioning the government to clear the visas after the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) issued threats two-weeks ago as a retaliation against the controversial statement made against the Prophet by suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. An Afghan Sikh and a security guard were killed in the attack, claimed by the ISKP, has restarted the debate over whether India should continue with its plans to reopen its embassy in Kabul. In particular, Indian intelligence sources believe the IS-K is linked to Pakistan and the attack could also be a “message” from the neighbouring country to both Kabul and New Delhi, given talks with the Taliban on India’s re-entry to Afghanistan. Over 400 arrested, 20 FIRs registered in Uttar Pradesh over protests against remarks on the Prophet The [Uttar Pradesh Police have so far arrested 415 people and registered 20 FIRs]( in connection with the violent protests that erupted in the state over the now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s remarks on Prophet Mohammed. Violence broke out in Kanpur on June 3 and in nine other districts of the State on June 10 after protests against Ms. Sharma’s remarks during a TV debate spun out of control. At least 40 people, including 20 police personnel, were injured in the violence in Kanpur. Three FIRs each have been registered in Kanpur Police Commissionerate and Saharanpur, seven in Prayagraj and one each in Firozabad, Aligarh, Hathras, Moradabad, Ambedkarnagar, Kheri and Jalaun, police said. Further, 97 people have been arrested in Prayagraj, 85 in Saharanpur, 58 in Kanpur, 41 in Ambedkarnagar, 40 in Moradabad, 35 in Hathras, 20 in Firozabad, eight in Kheri, six in Aligarh and five in Jalaun. Hijab row | Petitions filed by students in limbo in Supreme Court The appeals filed in the Supreme Court challenging Karnataka High Court’s conclusion that wearing hijab is not an essential practice in Islam [has been in limbo for several months](. The petitions, filed mostly by affected girl students, raised the question whether the State could interfere if a student wore a hijab to college without causing any harm to others and under the firm belief that it was a part of her religious observance and practice. The students also brought to the fore the issue whether a woman’s dignity and the right to access to education should suffer because her dress code could not be accommodated by the authorities of an educational institution. The Supreme Court in the S. R. Bommai case of 1994 had observed that “religious freedom is the hallmark of pluralism and inclusiveness”. The Constituent Assembly debates note how the establishment of a secular State was an act of faith, the onus on the majority community to show that they could behave towards others in a generous, fair and just way. The case was repeatedly mentioned in court during March and April for urgent hearing. The court had assured that they would be listed. However, the appeals remain to be heard. This, despite the fact that in February, the Supreme Court had assured the students protection of their constitutional rights and intervention at an “appropriate time”. In Brief West Bengal Chief Minister [Mamata Banerjee is unlikely to participate in the Opposition meeting convened by NCP chief Sharad Pawar]( on June 21 on the upcoming presidential poll due to prior engagements, a Trinamool Congress functionary said. However, a senior TMC leader will be present at the proposed meeting. A similar meeting was convened by Ms. Banerjee previously on June 15 which was attended by 17 Opposition parties to decide on a candidate of the joint Opposition in the presidential election. 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