Only a quarter of the new soldiers recruited into the Indian Armed Forces this year will be allowed to continue in the army for more than four years. The reform will make young people aspiring to a military career nervous.
In India, violent riots broke out on Thursday in several states over new temporary employment contracts with the armed forces. The protests continued on Friday.
Indian police fired on Friday at an angry mob that had set fire to trains in a protest against reform in the city of Secunderabad in southern Telangana.
At least one protester was injured in police firing, according to a photographer at the AFP news agency.
Telangana state authorities and local police have so far not commented on the incident.
An extension agreement is promised for only one in four
The Indian government announced this week that the recruitment process for the armed forces will be reformed. The aim is to hire people on four-year fixed-term contracts to reduce the average age of staff.
Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh said the Indian armed forces could recruit 46,000 young people this year. Their employment contracts are valid for four years. Only 25 percent of recruits get a follow-up contract.
Soldiers whose contract is not renewed are not entitled to retirement benefits.
In the past, the Army, Navy and Air Force have been recruiting independently. Typically, personnel of the lowest military rank have served for 17 years.
In various states, anti-reform protesters have set fire to train carriages and vehicles, blocked highways, damaged government buildings and stoned police.
Police used tampons and tear gas to quell protesters in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on Thursday.
In Bihar, which suffered the worst riots, authorities sent nearly 25,000 police to the streets to monitor order. Bihar police say they arrested more than a hundred suspected rioters on Thursday.
Those who want to become soldiers are opposed to reform
Many young people seeking bread for the army are opposed to the new system. They believe they should be allowed to serve in the armed forces for more than four years.
Opposition parties say the new system will increase unemployment.
BBC (switch to another service) according to the reform aims to cut the wage and pension costs of the armed forces. The funds released are set to modernize the army.
India to hold parliamentary elections in 2024. The coronary pandemic has plagued the Indian economy and the Prime Minister Narendra Modin the government is now under pressure to create new jobs.
One idea behind the Army’s short-term employment contracts is that those trained by the armed forces could later apply for jobs in the police or the private sector.