CJ Satish Chandra Sharma’s Divisional Bench declared the government scheme in national interest.
SUDESHNA RAY
On Monday, the Delhi High Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Agnipath scheme which was earlier petitioned against. The court stated that all policy aspects, especially those concerning the country’s security regarding this scheme for recruitment to the armed forces were in line with the national interest.
While on 15th December 2022, a judgment on this issue was reserved in light of numerous pleas challenging the validity of the Agnipath scheme, these pleas were dismissed based on expert opinions on important aspects of the scheme.
The court further stated that it did not find the scheme to be arbitrary, unaccountable, or lacking fundamental reason. It took into consideration the pressing issue of maintaining national security that it stated was achieved as part of the scheme. It also emphasized the wide range of benefits the scheme offers for employment and skill training for the army and concluded that no reason to interfere with its smooth operation was found.