Army may increase Agniveer intake to fix soldier shortfall

The Agnipath recruitment model was introduced three years ago with the stated objective of keeping the armed forces young and battle-ready

The army is examining a proposal to double the intake of Agniveers in its ranks --- from the current 50,000 to 100,000 a year --- with the move aimed at addressing shortage of soldiers in the PBOR (personnel below officer rank) cadre, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

The army has a shortfall of around 180,000 soldiers, largely due to a freeze on legacy recruitment during the Covid years 2020-21. (@suryacommand | Official X account)

The army has a shortfall of around 180,000 soldiers, largely due to a freeze on legacy recruitment during the Covid years 2020-21, the officials said, asking not to be named. While recruitment was stopped then, around 60,000 soldiers retired every year during that period.

More than 3,000 Agniveers --- barely 20 years old and recruited during the last two years --- manned critical weapons and systems integral to the army’s hardy air defence (AD) shield activated during Operation Sindoor, which Pakistan couldn’t punch through during the May 7-10 clash with India.

The Agnipath recruitment model was introduced three years ago with the stated objective of keeping the armed forces young and battle-ready. Those recruited under the Agnipath model are called Agniveers. Agnipath was a major departure from the military’s decades-old recruitment system that was scrapped when the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government announced the new scheme in June 2022. It recruits soldiers for only four years, with a provision to retain 25% of them in regular service for another 15 years.