In a recruitment reform in armed forces that is closer to global practices, the Centre on Tuesday made public the Agnipath scheme to hire youth on a four-year contractual basis for tri-services.

Sharing details of the scheme approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described it a “truly transformative reform which will enhance the combat potential of the armed forces, with younger profile and technologically adept soldiers.”

Singh told the reporters the Agnipath scheme was conceptualised after discussion with stakeholders within and outside the armed forces and other ministries and States in due course of time will come forward with their views on positive ripples of the new recruitment drive.

A presentation on the scheme was done during the press meet to explain the initiative. The recruits, Agniveers, will get an attractive pay package, including risk and hardship allowance, and severance allowance apart from ‘death and disability package, added the Minister to sum up the newly restructured HR practices of the armed forces.

The short service recruitment of Agniveers will be for below officer rank but up to 25 percent would get opportunity based on merit and organisational recruitment to join the regular cadre, said Lt General Anil Puri, additional secretary in department of military affairs of army. 

Presently the average age of non-officer personnel in the armed forces is 32 years. Under the new scheme, it is envisaged that the average age profile of Indian Armed forces will come down to somewhere between 24-26, Lt General Puri pointed out in the presentation. For those returning to the society, adequate re-employment opportunities will be provided and they will emerge as a role model for youth.

Progressively women will also be inducted into services through this route.

People in the age group of 17.5 to 21 years having prescribed medical and physical fitness, and educational qualification of clearing either tenth or twelth (as terms and conditions issued) will be eligible for the recruitment, which will begin in 90 days, said the army in the presentation at the press meet.

During the first year, the fresh recruits will be paid a monthly salary of ₹30,000 but they will get in hand ₹21,000 after deduction and a matching contribution will be made by the government every month. From second year onwards, the Agniveers’ salary will increase each year to ₹33,000 (excluding ₹9,900 by government in corpus), ₹36,500 (excluding ₹10,950 by government in corpus) in third year and ₹40,000 (excluding ₹12,000 by government in corpus) in the fourth year by the end of their service they get a “seva nidhi” package of of ₹11.71 lakh. 

The pay package is IT exempted. Besides that, they will be provided non-contributory Life Insurance Cover of ₹48 lakh for the duration of their engagement period in the armed forces. Additional ex-gratia of ₹44 lakhs will be provided by the government in case of death or disability.

Brushing aside reservations of retired army personnel on the initiative including doubts that it will be able to produce battle-ready troops, Army chief General Manoj Pande stated that Agniveers will be deployed at borders with China and Pakistan. Other two chiefs of Air Force and Navy too agreed that Agniveers would be dovetailed into existing formations to deliver outcomes which is expected from personnel recruited for longer duration of service.

Answering a similar query raising apprehension on the capability of Agniveers, Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said it will impact positively since personnel on ships are rotated every two years. “So unit position is not dependent on time but on training, leadership and challenges faced,” he remarked.

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