The Centre on Tuesday filed a caveat in the Supreme Court urging it to hear the government’s side on the pleas filed in connection with the Agnipath scheme, reported ANI.
A caveat is filed by litigants to ensure that no adverse order is passed against them before they are heard.
So far, three petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court against the Centre’s short-term recruitment scheme for the armed forces. The caveat, however, does not mention any plea in particular, according to NDTV.
The Agnipath scheme was announced by the government on June 14. A day later, violent protests broke out in several states against the scheme.
Under the Agnipath scheme, citizens aged between 17-and-a-half and 21 years will be eligible to apply. Of these recruits, 25% will be eligible to apply as regular personnel after they complete their four-year service.
The protestors are demanding permanent recruitment under the regular hiring process as well as pension and other retirement benefits that are not a part of the scheme.
The agitators have burnt and vandalised railway property, blocked train tracks and clashed with officials. In Bihar alone, 60 train coaches have been burnt and property worth about Rs 700 crore damaged.
At least 1,238 persons have been arrested across India for allegedly taking part in these protests. While 805 arrests were made in Bihar, 387 were arrested in Uttar Pradesh and 46 in Telangana.
In a bid to contain the outrage, the Union government has increased the age limit for recruitment in the armed forces under the scheme to 23 years for this year. It has also announced a 10% reservation for Agnipath recruits in the jobs offered by the home and defence ministries.
Advocate Vishal Tiwari had moved the Supreme Court on the scheme last week.
On Monday, two fresh petitions were filed in the Supreme Court against the scheme by advocates Harsh Ajay Singh and ML Sharma.
In his petition, Singh has sought amendments to the recruitment scheme, PTI reported.
“It is respectfully submitted that the petitioner is genuinely concerned about the maintenance of law and order in the country and for inviting the opinion of youths of the country whose future is at stake,” Singh said in his plea.
He also invited suggestions, including from retired Army officers, for amendments to the scheme for providing job opportunities to 75% of the recruits who will not be enlisted as regular personnel after they complete their four-year duty.
In his plea, Sharma has alleged that the government has quashed the century-old selection process for the armed forces, which is contrary to the constitutional provisions and has been done without having parliamentary approval, according to PTI.
Tiwari, in his plea, has sought that an expert committee be constituted to examine the impact of the scheme on the armed forces and India’s national security.
Place plea before Chief Justice of India: SC bench
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the petition filed by Singh can be listed only after it is placed before the Chief Justice of India, Live Law reported.
Just before the vacation bench of Justices CT Ravikumar and Sudhanshu Dhulia was about to rise for lunch, Singh’s counsel urged that his client’s plea be listed.
Singh’s petition has sought directions to stay the implementation of the Agnipath scheme, the counsel submitted.
“Writ petition has been numbered and caveat has been served to the Union of India,” the counsel said.
Justice Ravikumar then asked if the plea was placed before the Chief Justice of India, Live Law reported.
“Yes it has been placed,” the counsel told the bench.
The two-judge bench said it would then consider Singh’s petition.
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