This is not true. I personally know the IDF most definitely has a manpower shortage (as well as a money shortage).
And indeed, as “lesschumras” writes:
“Part of my wife’s chiloni cousins objections is that Chareidim live at home, are free to come and go .they feel that if learning is the chareidi form of national service, the students should be the living with the same conditions and restrictions as IDF soldiers.”
I agree with that. Soldiers are not free to go and leave their base whenever they want. They need approval to leave their base. Make it the same for yeshivos. Any bochur who wants to leave the doors/compound of the yeshiva needs to have a stamped ishur, and these must be strictly controlled. (This could tie in with the proposed system of using smart cards to check in/out to confirm attendance.)