2 weeks Ago By Sandip Dighe
Pune: The Indian Army has thrown light on the various modus operandi used by touts to extract money from aspiring candidates who want to join the force through Agniveer recruitment rallies. They found that these touts tell candidates to wear vests or shorts of a particular colour so that they could be easily identified. They also tell candidates to touch the feet of the recruiting officer when selected for an interview.
The registration for Agniveer recruitment started on March 12 and the Army issued the notification to warn aspirants about the ploys used by touts to dupe candidates. An officer said a tout would make a deliberate effort to shake hands with recruiting personnel, claiming to be an ex-serviceman or with any other identity, just to create an impression on the aspirants. "He would then try to capitalise on the handshake," said the officer.
The Army has found that these middlemen target candidates who are physically fit with no medical problems and who would, in all probability, be good in their studies. "Such candidates generally pass on their own steam. The touts would give false assurances by saying, ‘You pass the run.
I will get the rest of it done.' When a candidate passes, the tout would try to take the credit for the same. If the candidate gets rejected, the tout would either return the money or at least a major part of it by saying that they had given the rest to an officer.
They would also try to assure candidates by saying they would do something the next time since there was a lot of strictness this time," said an Army official. The Army's recruitment rallies were marred by paper leaks in the last few years. In fact, the Military Intelligence unit of the Southern Command arrested officers for allegedly being involved in the scam in 2022.
On paper leaks, the Zonal Recruiting Office (ZRO) of the Southern Command told TOI, "The transformation in the procedures for recruitment of Agniveers has seen introduction of a computer-based online entrance exam. The changed methodology has made the process more transparent and ensured prevention of chances of malpractices. Nevertheless, the Army continues to maintain a zero-tolerance towards corrupt practices.
" "Past investigations revealed that private academy owners in association with the Army personnel involved in the recruitment process managed to leak question papers. They could find means and ways to compromise the well-established system. Therefore, it is going to be tough for each Zonal Recruiting Office to conduct rallies without any issue," a senior Army officer told TOI.
With the transformation in Agniveer recruitment process, candidates clearing the online common entrance examination are only being called for recruitment rallies. "The transformation itself has resulted in smooth conduct due to manageable footfall during recruitment rallies. Further, the proactive approach from the respective Army Recruiting Offices (AROs) and their coordination with concerned civil administration has made the process efficient, and candidates are provided with best arrangements and level competing field during the rallies," added the authorities.
The Army officials claimed that they took necessary measures, including infusion of technology, to make the recruitment process transparent, fair, and candidate-friendly..
