Tatsat Chronicle Magazine

Delhi High Court Dismisses Petition Challenging The Constitutional Validity Of Agnipath Scheme  

February 27, 2023
Delhi High Court_Agnipath

The Delhi High court dismissed a petition that challenged the constitutional validity of the Agnipath recruitment scheme for Indian defence forces that was launched last year.  A Delhi High Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said, “Keeping larger public interest in mind, the petitions are dismissed.”

Under the new regime, the defence forces are required to carry out recruitments for other rank officers for a period of four years after which 75% of the people will be retired.

The court also said that when the recruitment ads under the Agnipath scheme were released, they did create any legitimate expectation.

The court also stated that it was a policy decision of the government and was taken in the national interest, keeping the nation’s security needs in mind.

The Agnipath scheme was launched on June 24, 2022, details the rules for the recruitment of youth between the ages of 17-and-a-half to 21, who will be inducted into the armed forces if they pass the selection criterion for a period of four year. Seventy five percent of those who will be retired after their completion of their tenure will be given a lumpsum amount to take care of their suture needs.