Agnipath scheme: Army, navy to start recruitment today

The Union government on June 14 announced the new scheme replacing the legacy system of recruitment to lower the age profile of the armed forces, ensure a fitter military and create a technically skilled war fighting force capable of meeting future challenges.

The army and navy will begin registration of candidates under the new Agnipath model for short-term induction of soldiers on Friday, with lakhs of young men expected to apply for 43,000 jobs the two services are offering this year, people familiar with the development said on Thursday.

The armed forces will recruit 46,000 Agniveers this year, with army (40,000) and IAF and navy (3,000 each). (HT file)

The Union government on June 14 announced the new scheme replacing the legacy system of recruitment to lower the age profile of the armed forces, ensure a fitter military and create a technically skilled war fighting force capable of meeting future challenges.

It sparked widespread protests and forced a concerted outreach by the government to scotch apprehensions about the scheme.

Those recruited under the scheme will be called Agniveers.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) began registrations under the Agnipath scheme on June 24 for 3,000 jobs, and as of June 29, at least 201,000 candidates have applied for it, with the registrations open till July 5, officials said.

“Going by the number of candidates who have registered for recruitment in IAF, we expect a good response from candidates eligible for the army and navy. Only those who have passed Class 12 are eligible for IAF, while the minimum eligibility for the other two services is Class 10. Therefore, more candidates are expected to apply,” said one of the officials cited above.

The armed forces will recruit 46,000 Agniveers this year, with army (40,000) and IAF and navy (3,000 each).

The protest phase seems to have passed and people are focusing on the recruitment process to join the armed forces, said former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda (retd). “The response to the army and navy recruitment drive is expected to be similar to what IAF got,” he added.

The Agnipath scheme seeks to recruit soldiers for only four years, with a provision to retain 25% of them in the regular cadre for 15 years after another round of screening.

The four-year service includes training for 10 weeks to six months.

The army will kick off recruitment rallies in August followed by a common entrance exam in October-November and the selected candidates will report at training centres in December. The army’s first set of Agniveers will join their units in July 2023. The other two services will also follow similar timelines.

Those recruited under the legacy system trained for nine months and served the armed forces for about 20 years before retiring with a pension. Agniveers released after four years will not be eligible for a pension. They will draw an annual package of ₹4.76 lakh in the first year of service and ₹6.92 lakh in the fourth, a non-contributory insurance cover of ₹48 lakh, and an additional ex gratia payment of ₹44 lakh for death attributable to service.

Soldiers who are released after four years will get ₹11.71 lakh as Seva Nidhi severance package, including ₹5.02 lakh contributed by them during their service. They will also have a job quota in different government organisations, paramilitary forces and other departments.