The Centre on Thursday issued a notification extending reservation benefits to ex-Agniveers in the Border Security Force.
According to the existing reservation policy for constable (General Duty) posts in central armed police forces(CAPFs), 15% seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes, 7.5% for Scheduled Tribes(ST), 27% for other back backward classes(OBCs).
The selected ex-Agniveers, upon completion of their service in the armed forces, will be joining as Constables(General Duty) in the different CAPFs.
“The provisions of reservation shall also apply in the case of ex-Agniveers,” the July 30 notification said.
The Union Home Ministry also notified the government’s announcement made in Parliament last week regarding 50% reservation in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and exemption for ex-Agniveers from the written exam, physical standards and physical efficiency tests. HT first reported on April 14 that retired Agniveer soldiers would be exempted from all the three tests during their induction in the central armed police forces(CAPFs). To be sure, the government has yet to announce how merit will be determined among the ex-Agniveers applying for recruitment to the CAPFs and Assam Rifles. People aware of the matter said the home ministry is working on this and is holding regular discussions with chiefs of CAPFs.
On July 21, minister of state for home affairs, Nityanand Rai said informed the Parliament that former Agniveers will be entitled to 50% reservation in the recruitment of Constable (General Duty) and Rifleman posts in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles, besides being exempted from the Physical Standards Test (PST), Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and the written examination.
{{/usCountry}}On July 21, minister of state for home affairs, Nityanand Rai said informed the Parliament that former Agniveers will be entitled to 50% reservation in the recruitment of Constable (General Duty) and Rifleman posts in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles, besides being exempted from the Physical Standards Test (PST), Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and the written examination.
{{/usCountry}}The first batch of 2,600 Agniveers inducted into the Navy, who began training in November 2022, is likely to retire before November 2026. Subsequently other batches will retire and become eligible to join the different CAPFs. Many state police forces such as Haryana and Delhi, have also reserved 20% of posts for the young soldiers post their retirement.
India had on June 14, 2022, announced the Agnipath scheme replacing the military’s decade old system of recruitment, which will 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 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 screening round. At least 3,000 Agniveers — barely 20 years old and recruited during the last three years — manned critical weapons and systems integral to the army’s hardy air defence (AD) shield activated during Operation Sindoor, which Pakistan couldn’t penetrate despite launching wave after wave of missile and drone attacks on multiple Indian military installations, airbases and cities during the May 7-10, 2025, clash between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.