Orphans to get opportunity to join Indian Army

Seeking to provide opportunities to orphan youth to join its ranks, the Indian Army has relaxed its recruitment rules to allow them to join the force.
Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh has taken a decision to relax the rules for recruitment for orphan youth which will help them to join the force, Army officials said here today.
Earlier, such youth faced problems in providing their exact date of birth, name of parents and their caste, they said.
From now on, such youth would be asked to produce their matriculation certificate for providing date of birth proof, they said. In other requirements also, norms have been relaxed.

Under the new policy, in the absence of parents' details, the name of orphanage can be accepted by recruitment centres.
As far as caste is concerned, the orphans will be included in the all-India all caste category. Caste is an important factor in the Indian Army which has caste-based Infantry regiments where troops from single caste are only recruited.
Before this, orphans were not being recruited into the force, officials said.