There has been a focus within military to bring down average age of soldiers, especially within Army, since 1980s, but actual work on it began in 2020, with an idea that germinated in 2019.
With a take home salary of Rs 21,000, armchair bureaucrats have placed an Agniveer, who would stake their life for India, even below a lower division clerk.
Shorter training periods for those who will brave bullets is not a good idea. And how will the political leanings of the Army’s ‘agniveers’ be kept in check?
Leaked report of Army's internal study of a recruitment plan is basically military hierarchy using media as a sounding board for its ‘hunch and gut’ ideas.
For an industry globally classified as hazardous, protections such as health insurance and a provident fund for workers are necessities. In Sivakasi, they remain elusive.
The industry forecasts exports are set to grow 16% in 2025-26, boosted by surplus domestic production and a drive to push into 26 underserved global markets with strong potential.
Indigenisation level will progressively increase up to 60 percent with key sub-assemblies, electronics and mechanical parts being manufactured locally.
It is a brilliant, reasonably priced, and mostly homemade aircraft with a stellar safety record; only two crashes in 24 years since its first flight. But its crash is a moment of introspection.
COMMENTS