People move to safety on a raft in Assam

Amid escalating protests against the Agneepath scheme, several Indian Army aspirants on Wednesday demonstrated in Shillong, against the Centre’s cancellation of Common Entrance Exam (CEE) for recruitment in Indian Army.
A number of candidates from various districts of the state demonstrated against the cancellation in front of the ruling BJP office in Imphal to express strong dissatisfaction with the cancellation of the CEE after a long postponement.
The Centre, on Tuesday, cancelled the most awaited CEE which has been postponed since April 2021 under the guise of COVID-19, the protesters alleged.
Placards that read, “Save the youths”, “Save our careers,” “We don’t blame Agnipath scheme, we just blame the cancellation of CEE,” “Revoke e CEE cancellation order,” etc. were displayed during the protest.
The protesters lodged a complaint with the state BJP leaders who were in the office at the time of demonstration to relay grievances faced by them (Army aspirant candidates) to Central leaders. Talking to reporters, protesters alleged that the cancellation of the CEE came at a time they were preparing for the exams and that they were expecting the exam at any time.
The Centre had kept on hold the CEE even though all of them had cleared their physical, medical and other tests. The physical, medical and other tests for the recruitment had already been completed in March 2021 and the CEE was about to be conducted on April 25, 2021. The exams were, however, kept on hold till date on the pretext of COVID-19 pandemic, one of the protesters alleged.
He further said that the Centre’s decision will amount to ruining the careers of the youths who have strong aspirations to serve the country.
He said that most of them had to give up their education and skip exams in order to take up the physical and medical tests while preparing for the CEE.
He said that the cancellation order mentioned about giving preference at the time of recruitment of Agneeveers under Agneepath scheme to those candidates of 23 years of age and below and sidelined those who were above the 23 years of age.
“It is nothing but assassinating the careers of the candidates above the age bar,” he said.
The order has disappointed Army aspirants who have worked hard to achieve their goals and have now crossed 23 years of age, he alleged.