India, May 12 -- The central government has opposed the petition filed by the mother of martyred Agniveer M Murali Naik, seeking parity with regular soldiers in benefits given to kin in the event of death in the line of duty.

In an affidavit filed before the high court, the central government has stated that Agniveers are not "similarly situated" as regular soldiers and hence, cannot claim parity in pensionary benefits for their next of kin. The differentiation is constitutionally valid, as the Agnipath scheme is a short-term engagement for four years designed for present-day national security needs, while pensionary benefits and other emoluments in the armed forces are linked to long-term service, the government said in the affidavit. ...