The Supreme Court on Friday will hear pleas challenging the Centre's Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment into the armed forces, reports Hindustan Times.

A bench of justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna will consider the matter.

The Agnipath scheme was announced by the Narendra Modi government in June for a short-term induction of soldiers in the armed forces. The scheme seeks to recruit soldiers, including women for only four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them in the regular cadre for another 15 years after another round of screening.

The announcement had led to protests across the country, with agitations turning violent in some states. Some petitions were filed in the Supreme Court challenging the scheme introduced by the Centre.