Tens of thousands of job seekers have called for a shutdown in India to protest against a new army hiring plan which has sparked violence. Some states shut down the internet and suspended train and bus services on Monday. Protesters are demanding the rollback of the plan to hire soldiers on a fixed four-year term, saying it would shatter their dreams of a secure job. They have taken to the streets, blocking roads and torching trains. Several opposition political parties have given their support to the protests. But the government has refused to cancel the plan, though it has been trying to allay the fears of protesters. Demonstrations against the plan began in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar last week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government announced changes to how it would recruit soldiers for the armed forces.(BBC)…[+]