On the eve of Defender of the Fatherland Day, an educational discussion was held with students of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics residing in Student House No. 6 within the framework of Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 17 (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, SDGs).
Fulfilling military duty to the Motherland is considered the responsibility of every man. However, many citizens avoid this obligation and evade military service. As a result, cases of young people being detained directly on the streets have increased. How lawful is the forced delivery of young men to military enlistment offices?
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated in an interview with Ana tili newspaper: “Law and order are the main principles of statehood. At the same time, we are not talking about establishing total control over society through punitive measures. If we do not obey the law and order and do not respect legal norms, we will not be able to build a Just Kazakhstan and make it a prosperous state.” The President emphasized that society should not be subjected to mass control through punishment and stressed the importance of building a legal state based on democracy, 谐褍屑邪薪ism, and respect for the law.
Article 36 of the Constitution clearly states that defending the state is the sacred duty and obligation of every citizen, and that military service must be performed according to the procedure established by law. The conscription process is regulated by the Law “On Military Service and the Status of Servicemen of the Republic of Kazakhstan.” The law contains no provision allowing citizens to be forcibly taken to military commissariats. At the same time, evasion of preparation for military service entails administrative liability under Article 650 of the Administrative Offenses Code. Citizens who deliberately evade military service are subject to criminal liability under Article 387 of the Criminal Code. Punishments include a fine of up to 3,000 monthly calculation indices or up to 800 hours of community service. Repeated violations may result in restriction of freedom or imprisonment for up to three years.
The state also provides social support for those who complete military service. Soldiers who have fulfilled their duty to the Motherland are eligible for free education funded by universities at more than 70 higher education institutions in the country. They may be admitted without consideration of their Unified National Testing scores if they pass a four-stage selection process. Those who fail the selection may still enroll in paid programs without taking the UNT. In addition, the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market offers a “loan payment holiday” program for servicemen. A soldier’s loan payments are suspended for 13 months: 12 months of service and an additional month for employment after discharge. Other support measures include low-interest loans and housing opportunities. With such benefits available, young people should be motivated to serve in the army.
In a statement to journalists, Deputy Minister of Defense Shaikh-Khasan Zhazykbayev said that the conscription procedure would be changed. In the future, draft notices may be sent not in paper form but through SMS messages from the number 1414. Citizens will be able to verify the authenticity of the information through their eGov account. A corresponding draft law is currently being prepared. After the law is adopted, cases of forcibly detaining young people on the streets are expected to disappear. If a citizen ignores the notice, they will be held accountable under the Administrative Code.
During the event, participants were also informed about contract-based reserve military service aimed at improving the armed forces recruitment system. It was noted that this represents an important opportunity for those wishing to choose military service as a lifelong profession, provides professional development opportunities for unemployed rural citizens, and offers young people a meaningful way to serve their country.
Bolat Abenov, Deputy Dean for Social and Educational Affairs, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Computational Sciences and Statistics.
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