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The Government presented an initiative on setting an opportunity for giving deferment from the conscription of the compulsory military service to the citizens studying in the relevant higher educational institutions with the prior and important specialties for the state.

Before everybody made use of the right of deferment, later on it was set only for the students of the best educational institutions. Now, the Government tries to mitigate this provision: give right to deferment not to everybody, but on certain specialties.

The addenda proposed by the executive body refer to the RA law on Military Service and Serviceman’s Status.

It is proposed to add Article 22 of the law with new part, according to which, by the decision of the Government the learner in the relevant higher educational institutions with the prior and important specialties for the state also in the scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical (STEM) directions will be given deferment from the conscription of the compulsory military service. The Government will set the order and the conditions of giving deferment, as well as the list of the relevant specialties. It is noted that setting maximum limit of being subject to conscription turning 27 creates a number of obstacles for the citizens having deferment in the sphere of education, which do not give opportunity the citizens with deferment to finish studies. While setting such age limit the school education has been 10-year in our country, and the citizens, finishing the school being 17 years, have an opportunity to graduate from the higher educational institution up to turning 27 years at educational all degrees. However, after passing 12-year education, the citizens enter the university at the age of 18, and they do not have an opportunity to get post-graduate education. It is proposed to replace 27 years to 28 years.

Answering the MPs’ multiple questions, the RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Vahram Dumanyan noted that the Government in detail planned the process, took into consideration the interconnection of the educational and security problems. It was mentioned that the state will set certain conditions for those who received right to deferment.

The MPs were concerned about the issue that this regulation can condition the student’s choice by the opportunity of getting right to merely deferment, and many students can make use of the right to deferment for evading the service in the army. Vahram Dumanyan assured that the right to deferment is aimed at providing uninterrupted education: there is no problem of discharging from the army. An opinion was voiced that there is disruption between the specialties of the higher educational institutions and economy. In this issue Minister Dumanyan held the same opinion with Babken Tunyan, noting that one of the reasons is the variety of the list of the specialties of the higher educational institutions.

The issue was endorsed by the Committee.