The Supreme Court on Tuesday transferred the petitions – challenging the Agnipath scheme – to the Delhi High Court. The top court said it felt “desirable and proper” to have the view of the Delhi HC, which is already hearing petitions on the scheme.
The top court has further directed that all similar petitions – challenging the scheme – pending in high courts of Kerala, Patna, Punjab and Haryana and Uttarakhand could be filed as intervention applications before the Delhi High Court or the petitioners could get their pleas transferred to Delhi.
The Supreme Court also held that any fresh petitions that shall be filed on the scheme in the high courts will also follow this process.
The top court directed the registrar to convey the order to the Registrar (Judicial) of the high courts where similar matters are pending so that the concerned bench can put this option to the petitioners who have challenged the scheme.
The short-term recruitment scheme in army, navy and air force was recently unveiled last month by the centre, with an aim to bring down the average age in military.
“The scheme has been designed to enable a youthful profile of the Armed Forces. It will provide an opportunity to the youth who may be keen to don the uniform by attracting young talent from the society who are more in tune with contemporary technological trends and plough back skilled, disciplined and motivated manpower into the society. As for the Armed Forces, it will enhance the youthful profile of the Armed Forces,” a government statement read.
“This is a major defence policy reform introduced by the government to usher in a new era in the Human Resource policy of the three Services. The policy, which comes into immediate effect, will hereafter govern the enrolment for the three services,” it added. The recruitments are being done for a four-year period in the 17.5 to 21 year age group.
However, the launch of the scheme had triggered huge protests across the country. The opposition also attacked the government, saying the scheme – after recruitments were stalled for two years due to the pandemic – came as a measure, which was too late and too little.