Bhubaneswar:  Protests against the ‘Agnipath’ scheme for recruitment in the armed forces erupted in several locations across Odisha, including Cuttack, where hundreds of young people aspiring to join the Indian Army are demonstrating near the Army Recruiting Office.

On Friday morning, hundreds of young men gathered in front of the Army office in the Cantonment area to oppose the Centre's Armed Forces recruitment scheme. They released their anger by setting fire to tyres on the road and yelling anti-government chants.

The protesting aspirants stated that they had passed their medical and physical exams for Army enlistment last year and were now waiting for the written exam, the Common Entrance Examination (CEE), which had been cancelled.

The protesting youth demanded that the 'Tour of Duty' or 'Agnipath' scheme be scrapped and that the written exam for their enlistment be held on time.

The 'Agnipath' recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces was approved by the Union Cabinet on Tuesday. The youths selected for this programme will be known as 'Agniveers.' This year, some 46,000 of them will be recruited.

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