Fewer Haryana youth keen on joining armed forces

Rohtak, March 5

The youth of Haryana, who had a great fascination for the armed forces, have lately started looking towards other career options. While a majority of youth now prefer to fly abroad and pursue dollar dreams, those who are good at academics are inclined towards professional courses.

As per sources in the coaching sector, the number of youngsters opting for the armed forces has declined so sharply in the recent past that several academies that used to provide tutorials and training for defence jobs are on the verge of closure.

Sources maintain that the introduction of the Agnipath scheme, which offers a four-year tenure, has not enthused the state youth. “Up to 75 per cent decline has been registered in the number of aspirants for Army jobs,” says Anil Kumar, an ex-serviceman who runs a coaching academy.

Yashvir Kharb, who also runs an academy, laments that their centres were on the verge of closure. “Most youngsters have changed their track after the introduction of the Agnipath scheme. Our academies are facing a shutdown and we have already started exploring other options,” he says.

Rahul Hooda of Samar Gopalpur village in Rohtak district, who has prepared and trained numerous youngsters for years, says he has now opened an immigration consultancy firm in view of the changed preferences of the youth.

“I was passionate about the Army myself and worked hard for nearly 11 years to get into the armed forces. However, I could not make it as I could not clear the written exam. Nonetheless, I trained several youngsters for the physical tests. As of now, the charm for Army jobs has faded,” he states.