STEM students may regain deferment eligibility

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia’s Ministry of Defense has submitted a draft proposal that would allow certain students in priority STEM fields to receive a new military service deferment. The measure applies to citizens whose earlier deferment under the “I Have Honor” program was terminated due to health reasons, Panorama.am reports.

According to the explanatory note, Article 22, Part 5 of the Law “On Military Service and the Status of Servicemen” previously stipulated that deferment for studies in state-priority fields within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as well as in education, culture, arts and sports, could not be granted to a citizen who had already received a deferment for military training during studies and subsequent service under conditions specified by the Ministry of Defense through the “I Have Honor” program.

However, following amendments to the law, this restriction no longer applies to citizens whose deferment under the “I Have Honor” program was terminated because of their health condition.

The explanatory note states that, for this reason, it has become necessary to amend the government decision regulating the procedure for granting deferments to students enrolled in state-priority STEM specialties, in order to bring it into compliance with the updated legal requirements.