The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea challenging the Centre's newly introduced 'Agnipath' scheme for recruitment in armed forces after the apex court reopens on July 11. The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, provides for the recruitment of youths in the age group of 17-and-a-half-years to 21 years for a four-year stint with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. Protests had erupted in several states against the scheme, following which the Centre extended the upper age limit to 23 years for recruitment this year. A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshwari said that petitions will be listed next week before an appropriate bench upon reopening of the apex court after summer vacation.
