Army lays down rules for Agniveer retention

The Army has come up with a detailed assessment system for retention of Agniveers after the fourth year of service, based on performance parameters including operational aptitude, weapons proficiency, physical fitness and tests to evaluate other soldierly skills, senior officers familiar with the development said on Tuesday.

The Army has come up with a detailed assessment system for retention of Agniveers after the fourth year of service, based on performance parameters including operational aptitude, weapons proficiency, physical fitness and tests to evaluate other soldierly skills, senior officers familiar with the development said on Tuesday.

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Agniveers decorated with gallantry awards will have an edge over their peers, Hindustan Times has learnt.

The performance evaluation will determine who is released after four years and who gets to serve in the regular cadre for an additional 15 years, said one of the officers cited above who shared the details of the assessment and screening policy.

The Agnipath model for short-term induction of soldiers into the three services is a major departure from the military’s decades-old recruitment system that was discontinued when the government announced the new scheme in June 2022. It seeks to recruit soldiers for only four years, with a provision to retain 25% of them in regular service.

The appraisal process will be as granular as it can get and leaves no room for ambiguity, said a second officer, revealing the highlights.

The army has accorded highest priority to operational aptitude in the rating criteria. It will be assessed annually by the chain of command and will carry a weightage of 39%. Quantified tests to assess physical fitness, firing and drill — to be conducted biannually — come second with a weightage of 36%. Thirdly, an independent screening board will conduct written and practical tests to assess Agniveers on different professional aspects in the first and the fourth year of their engagement. This will carry a weightage of 25%.

“The assessment and screening policy has been completely automated in a software to ensure a fair, unbiased and transparent system of evaluation,” the second officer said. Gallantry awards will come with additional marks, while lack of discipline will ensure negative marks, he added.

The army’s first Agniveers began their training at regimental centres with improved infrastructure across the country on January 2, 2023, marking a turning point in how soldiers are inducted into the force. Over 19,000 army Agniveers began their training in the first phase, with the second batch of another 21,000 set to commence training on March 1. Future batches will be inducted in May and November every year.

“Biannual performance counselling by superiors and the visibility of their demonstrated performance shall enable transparency and course correction by Agniveers. The 25% Agniveers shall be selected for enrolment into regular cadre on merit based on overall performance after four years,” the first officer said.

The army has come up with an extremely transparent, robust and credible assessment and selection system based on which the Agniveers will be selected for continuation of service beyond the initial four years, army chief General Manoj Pande said on December 29. He said commanders at all levels had taken full ownership of the Agnipath scheme and the focus was now on its correct implementation.

The army undertook necessary planning to ensure that the scheme achieves the desired objectives and the 75% of Agniveers released after four years are empowered and upskilled for a second career, the officer quoted in the first instance said.

“Study groups were formed, their recommendations deliberated and decisions arrived at. The army has harnessed this scheme to transform its HR procedures and processes by adopting new concepts, policies, training methodologies and automation,” he said. The implementation of the scheme is fully automated, from recruitment to training and retention to release of Agniveers. The entire recruitment process is encapsulated in a software called ‘e-RecruiteX’, the officers said, adding that this year onwards an online combined entrance exam will precede the recruitment rallies.

The training methodology and infrastructure has been tailored to meet the dual requirements of producing future-ready soldiers and preparing Agniveers for short-term engagement, they said. The training duration for basic and advanced military training has been optimised to a standard 24 to 31 weeks at regimental centres after which Agniveers will undergo seven weeks of on-the-job training at their units to help them fit into the allocated operational role and unit life, the officers said. The first batch of Agniveers will report to their units in August while the second batch will report in October.

Agniveers will draw an annual salary of ₹4.76 lakh in the first year of service and ₹6.92 lakh in the fourth, will get a non-contributory insurance cover of ₹48 lakh, and an additional ex-gratia payment of ₹44 lakh for death attributable to service.

Those 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 job quotas in different government organisations, paramilitary forces and other departments.

India had on June 14, 2022, announced the Agnipath scheme replacing the legacy system 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.

Over 5.4 million candidates registered for the 46,000 jobs in the three services in the first phase (40,000 in the army and 3,000 each in the Indian Air Force and navy), according to defence ministry data. Agniveers of the other services are also currently under training.

“The Agnipath scheme has its advantages but we will have to see how it unfolds. The model should be allowed to evolve with appropriate course corrections so that it stays contemporary and futuristic,” former army deputy chief Lieutenant General Subrata Saha (retd) earlier said.