Protests erupt in several states over 'Agnipath' armed forces recruitment scheme

Protests over new 'Agnipath' armed forces recruitment scheme erupted in several states on Thursday. There were reports of aspirants protesting in Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. Under the scheme, jawans will be recruited for a four-year period followed by compulsory retirement for most without gratuity and pension benefits.