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Snapshot of the day

July 10, 2024

Siddharth Varadarajan

In forceful and outspoken criticism of the controversial Agnipath scheme which turns the job of a soldier into a four-year contract, Admiral Arun Prakash – one of India’s most distinguished former Navy Chiefs and a former Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee – has said the Indian military’s combat effectiveness is being degraded in the process. In an interview to Karan Thapar, he says the ‘Agniveers’ are “barely trained” and only fit “for sentry duties” and that “it must be recognized that at least 5-6 years are required before a new entrant can acquire hands-on experience to be