Indian Army’s appeal to Panjab’s Youth; Passport Craze Down in Panjab

The Indian Army has issued an appeal to the youth in Panjab to join the Sikh Regiment. It noted the regiment’s excellent performance in garnering honors and awards—the regiment has the highest number of gallantry awards—and said its ‘true strength’ lies in the state’s youngsters. Senior Army officers have highlighted that not enough Sikh youth are joining the regiment, which is causing a manpower shortage in several battalions. There was a time when Panjab was famous for sending youngsters into the army but the intake was reduced by union government policy in the 1980s. However, that trend witnessed a shift following the mass migration of young people to countries such as Canada, US, UK, and Australia on study and work visas. Additionally, the Farmers’ Protest 1.0 (2020–21) created a major disenchantment amongst the youth when protesting farmers were branded as terrorists and separatists by the mainstream media. The trend was further accelerated by the launch of the Indian government’s Agnipath (short service) scheme. Retired Brigadier Harwant Singh, terms the Agnipath scheme as ‘contractual bonded labor’ as it offers no guarantee of employment after four years of service. He said, ‘There is a 13% quota for ex-servicemen in state government jobs, but less than 3% are filled. With such dismal facts, how can one expect the youth to join the Agnipath scheme?’ Meanwhile, according to the latest data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada has recorded a sharp decline in new international student arrivals after the federal government tightened controls on study permits. IRCC’s monthly figures show that only 2,485 new study permits were issued in November 2025, marking one of the lowest monthly totals in recent years. By contrast, 95,320 study permits were issued in December 2023. This comparison has led to reports of a 97% decline in new student arrivals. Concurrently, due to the tightening of entry regulations in foreign countries, Panjab’s passport applications have seen a decline. According to data released by the Union Ministry of External Affairs, in 2023, Panjab saw a record-breaking 1.2M passports issued. However, in 2024, this figure fell to 1.06M, and in 2025 it dropped to 708K (earlier coverage).