KOZHIKODE: Even as the police and administration across the country suspect the role of coaching centres behind the violent protests against the Agnipath short-term recruitment in the armed forces, such centres in the state are tweaking their training modules to prepare aspirants for the scheme’s entrance examination.
Besides, the centres hitherto offering coaching for PSC and other competitive exams have also started offering training for the scheme’s test. However, admissions are open only for the youngsters who have not participated in the protest against Agnipath.
More than 200 coaching centres have already released their advertisements on social media and other platforms announcing the coaching classes. Some of these advertisements have also gone viral as these specifically ask the protesters to not apply for courses. It is expected that thousands of youngsters from Kerala will be trying their luck in the examination.
‘It is responsibility of job aspirants to choose right coaching centres’
According to authorities, the training of first Agniveers selected under the scheme will begin in December itself and their active service commence in the middle of 2023. The MD of a Koyilandy-based coaching centre, M Shivadasan, said, “We will start classes for the exam in different batches. Each batch will have 50 students. For the first batch which starts on June 25, the slots have already been booked and we have made sure that none of the students selected have participated in the ongoing protest against Agnipath. Since the police have booked the protesters, their chances for appearing in the exam will be uncertain and, hence, we don’t want to waste our seat on such a student. We have mentioned this in the advertisement given recently on social media.”
Retired Major Govindan from Thalassery, who has been running an army recruitment training centre, said, “The notification of the scheme is expected to come by June 24 and we will be beginning the sessions in a week. Hundreds of students trained by us have got jobs in various armed forces and we are looking forward to having more participation in the Agnipath scheme as well. We have equal participation of both girls and boys for various examinations of the Army.”
Retired Lieutenant General Sarath Chand, former Vice-Chief of Army Staff said: “If the number of coaching centres that specifically focus on Agnipath scheme increases, it is a good trend. We need more trained youths coming for the selection process. We will be able to choose from the best.” “At the same time, it is the responsibility of each person to select the best coaching institute,” he said.
Meanwhile, concerns are being raised about the commercial side of such centres. “Some centres aim to make a quick buck without providing proper coaching. They attract youths by projecting a few retired defence personnel in the faculty. Youths should know that there are service-oriented ex-defence staff associations which give free coaching,” said Haridas M, national joint secretary of Assam Rifles Ex-servicemen Welfare Association.