India raises age limit for 'Agnipath' scheme amid nationwide protests
The Indian government today raised the age limit for the 'Agnipath' military recruitment scheme to 23 from 21 amid nationwide protests.
The age waiver will be given only one time for the proposed recruitment cycle for 2022. The original age group eligible for the scheme was decided to be 17.5 to 21 years.
"Cognizant of the fact that it has not been possible to undertake the recruitment during the last two years, the Government has decided that a one-time waiver shall be granted for the proposed recruitment cycle for 2022," the country's government said in a release.
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Violence erupted on Tuesday after the government announced an overhaul of recruitment for India's 1.38 million-strong armed forces, looking to bring down the average age of personnel and reduce pension expenditure.
The protests spread to 10 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Delhi.
