tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post5327432066064027195..comments2024-03-28T05:22:10.255-07:00Comments on Broadsword by Ajai Shukla - Strategy. Economics. Defence.: Military says Agnipath recruitment scheme is here to stay; recruitment begins in AugustBroadswordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13076780076240598482noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8726844009873922462.post-67418974741828543352022-06-19T17:40:13.054-07:002022-06-19T17:40:13.054-07:00# GoI earmark, set aside positions in the union...# GoI earmark, set aside positions in the union's armed police forces which function almost always as paramilitary, border protection forces [land -BSF and sea - cost guard] and are organized no different than the regular military into rifle sections, platoons, rifle companies, support weapons companies, battalions and equipped with the same weaponry. 81 mm mortars, medium machine guns, light machine guns, infantry rapid fire rifles [certainly not crowd control weapons] in addition to the token lathi and tear gas, even have commando sections, entire commando companies, battalions, parachutist training, wear parachutist insignia just as military airborne forces do. confirming that the BSF for instance are certainly not carabinieri, gendarmerie supporting the constabulary, or even federal police but paramilitary. <br />all this confirms that not even raisina hill, or sena bhavan believe that 'agniveers' at the conclusion of four years tour of duty will stand head and shoulders over general, off the street, raw applicants to the paramilitary forces but will require to have protection from competition, the advantage, privilege of reservation. begging the question that if places have to be earmarked, set aside, reserved for agniveers to shield them from the disappointment that they could face in open competition with the average youth then will they have half a chance of being distinguished for their four year tour of duty experience as preferred applicants to positions that will lead to anything other than dead end jobs. such as sitting in fake uniforms, peaked cap, silver stars on epaulette, cross belt, chappals at an ATM kiosk, or monitor the operation of technology of the metal detector, bag x-ray at shopping mall foyers, checking for IED in entering vehicles proceeding to under the building parking, or manning the gates at JNU and other crucibles of aunty nationals. <br />that BSF, CRPF, even RPF with their free railway passes, and other railwaymen's perquisites, retirement at 60, attract a far superior quality of recruit than the army, navy, air force can even hope to attract is one of the embarrassment all military officers cannot be unaware of. for that matter young men, women prefer direct recruitment as sub-inspectors in delhi police, other state police, both for being lucrative and much more prestigious even in the marriage and dowry bazaar than as commissioned officers out of OTA, even IMA. senior military officers in the sixties, seventies, eighties, even nineties had sons joining the merchant marine TS rajendra to work on a rust bucket container ship rather than the prestige of our indian navy via NDA. a similar travesty is unimaginable in USA, britain, france, china, singapore. <br />most of the lofty character building aims of 'agniveers' are already being targeted through the NCC, and this corps can be expanded, strengthened. then there are the territorial army battalions - these are already our agniveers, and much more glamorous than any commission into the armoured corps, special forces commandos where 44 months of NDA, IMA will only lead to being a lowly lieutenant with pay, allowances including military service pay on par with a nurse from the MNS. the TA grant commissions directly as colonel, wing commander and all the fawning of generals, air marshals, admirals vying for the selfie.<br /><br />in policy analysis it is useful to be able to hear what is not being said, rather than be distracted by static. the shrewd invariably use speech to conceal their thoughts. <br />george ninanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01856262118970125304noreply@blogger.com