The Supreme Court informed on July 4, Monday, that next week, it would be hearing the pleas challenging the Union government's Agnipath scheme for recruitment in the armed forces.
A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshwari informed that the petitions will be listed next week, upon reopening of the apex court post-summer vacation, before an appropriate bench, as stated in PTI.
A counsel, who had filed a plea against the Agnipath scheme, informed that Indian Air Force aspirants have undergone training and were waiting for appointment letters but now their career will be cut short from 20 years to four years.
“This is an urgent matter, kindly list it. The careers of several aspirants are at stake”, the counsel said.
Also challenging the Agnipath scheme is the PIL filed by advocate ML Sharma. He said he seeks cancellation of the government's notification pertaining to the scheme as more than 70,000 aspirants who have undergone training were waiting for their appointment letters before the pandemic and now their career has been shortened by scheme.
The bench said that when Sharma has waited for more than two years then why is he coming before the vacation bench.
It listed Sharma's plea before the appropriate bench along with other matters.
In the PIL, Sharma has alleged that the government has quashed the century-old selection process for the armed forces which is contrary to the constitutional provisions.
The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, provides for the recruitment of youths between the age of 17-and-a-half and 23 for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years.
Protests have erupted in several states against the scheme. The plea also referred to the same.
Earlier, several petitions have been filed in the top court seeking a direction to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the damage to public properties, including that of Railways, during violent protests against the scheme.
The plea has also sought directions to the Centre and Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Haryana, and Rajasthan governments to submit a status report on the violent protests.
It has sought a direction to set up an expert committee under the chairmanship of a retired apex court judge to examine the scheme and its impact on national security and the Army.
