Delhi HC rejects pleas challenging Agnipath's constitutional validity

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court dismissed all petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Agnipath scheme, observing that it was a policy decision based on national security, The Indian Express reported.

TIE quoted the court, "This court finds no reason to interfere with the scheme… All petitions are dismissed."

Further, the bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad dismissed the pleas that challenged the 2019 recruitment notification/advertisements. The court noted that no promissory estoppel or legitimate expectation was created by the advertisements for recruitment. Therefore the petitioners cannot claim vested rights in it, the court ruled.

"Keeping larger public interest in mind, the petitions are dismissed," TIE quoted the bench.

The Agnipath scheme was opened on June 14, 2022. It mandates the rules for the recruitment of candidates to the armed forces. The said rules state that those between 17-and-a-half and 21 years of age could apply to the scheme and will be inducted for four years in it. Only 25 per cent of the recruits will be taken into regular service after that, the scheme says.

Following the announcement of the scheme, widespread protests and violence happened across many states in the country. Job aspirants took to the streets, and vandalised public properties, creating complete pandemonium. The Indian Railways sustained most of the damages after trains were set on fire, railway stations ransacked, communication equipment destroyed etc. Railway had informed that it had sustained more than 250 crores of loss.

Later the government extended the upper age limit to 23 years for recruitment in 2022.