Protesters in Bihar cause damage to public property. New Indian military recruitment program: protesters damage public property, and looted the railway station On Saturday in Bihar, protesters damaged public property and looted offices at a railway station.

BHUBANESHWAR/LUCKNOW: Protesters in the eastern Indian state of Bihar on Saturday damaged public property and looted offices at a train station, expressing outrage at a new military recruitment program and calling on the government to change course. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government introduced a program called Agnipath, or "fire path," aimed at attracting more people to the army on four-year contracts in a bid to bring the average age of India's armed forces down from 1.38 million people. was to make the armed forces more modern and powerful. Analysts said the new system would also help bring down rising pension costs, but opponents believe it would limit opportunities for permanent defense jobs, affecting salaries, pensions, and other benefits. In Bihar, one of India's poorest states, thousands of youths attacked train cars, burned tires, and clashed with officials at a train station. According to state law and order, at least 12 protesters were arrested and at least four police officers injured in the clashes. "About 2,000 to 2,500 people entered the Masaurhi railway station and attacked the 

 forces," he said. In Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, police have arrested at least 250 people as part of so-called preventive arrests. Some demonstrators accused the police of using excessive force. One person was killed in protests this week. To stem the outrage, the federal government announced concessions to those who will serve on the program. The Interior Ministry announced it would reserve 10 percent of vacancies in the paramilitary forces and the Assam Rifles, a unit of the Indian Army, for those who left the army after the four-year period required by the scheme. The Department of Defense said 

 would reserve 10 percent of its vacancies for those who complete the program."Maybe people misunderstood because it's a new scheme,  but we've discussed this with everyone, including the ex-military," Defense Secretary Rajnath Singh told a conference on Saturday. The program provides for  25 percent of those recruited to be retained. Soldiers after four years of service,  the rest have priority for other jobs, such as with the state police. The Navy chief said  Friday the protests were unexpected and likely the result of misinformation about the new 

 system. Please expect such protests,” said Admiral R. Hari Kumar. “It is the largest human resource management transformation that has ever taken place in the Indian Army. The program is not open to women in combat roles and there are no current plans to change this.