NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has received over 1.83 lakh applications under the Agnipath recruitment scheme within six days of the registration process, an official communication said.
The registration process that began on June 24 had seen the filing of 94,281 applications by Monday, and 56,960 applications by Sunday.
After the scheme was unveiled on June 14, violent protests against it rocked several states for nearly a week, and several opposition parties demanded its rollback.
"So far, 1,83,634 future Agniveers have applied on the registration website https://agnipathvayu.cdac.in Registration closes on July 5, 2022," the IAF said on Twitter.
Under the scheme, the government had said youths between the ages of 17-and-a-half and 21 years would be inducted for a four-year tenure, while 25 per cent of them will be subsequently inducted for regular service.
The government had on June 16 increased the upper age limit for recruitment under the scheme to 23 years from 21 for the year 2022, and subsequently announced a slew of placatory steps, such as a preference for Agniveers in central paramilitary forces and defence public sector undertakings upon their retirement.
Many BJP-ruled states also declared the 'Agniveers' -- as the soldiers inducted under the Agnipath scheme will be known -- will be accorded priority in induction into state police forces.
The armed forces have, however, made it clear those who had indulged in violent protests and arson against the new recruitment scheme will not be inducted.