Agnipath Change: 75% of Agniveers to Get Option of a Second Two-Year Term, Says CDS
Agniveers who are not among the 25% absorbed into the regular forces after four years can now serve two more years with higher pay, and may then be considered for regular service.
The Centre has given Agniveers who are not taken into the regular armed forces after their four-year term the option of serving for two more years, a major change to the Agnipath scheme launched in 2022.
Chief of Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani announced the decision at a press conference on Wednesday, 4 November. He said 75 per cent of Agniveers would be offered a “second engagement period” of two years.
How the new option works
- As before, about 25 per cent of each batch will be inducted into the regular forces on merit at the end of four years.
- The remaining 75 per cent can choose to serve a further two years.
- Those who serve the second term will get higher pay and a larger service fund (Seva Nidhi) benefit, according to the announcement.
- After the second term, those who wish to continue may be considered for enrolment as regular soldiers, subject to their willingness and the prescribed selection criteria.
- Performance during the extra period will be assessed on efficiency, achievements and organisational needs, alongside regular evaluations of fitness, discipline, motivation and technical skill.
The amounts of the revised pay and Seva Nidhi package have not yet been made public.
Why now
The timing is significant: the first batch of Agniveers, more than 18,000 recruits, is due to complete its four-year term this month. Officials cited positive feedback on the performance of the recruits, and said the change would help the forces keep trained personnel while giving young soldiers more flexibility.
The Agnipath scheme was launched on 14 June 2022 to bring down the average age of personnel and modernise recruitment, but faced protests in several states, with critics arguing that a four-year stint and a one-time exit package offered little job security.
Featured image: Photo: Ministry of Defence, GODL-India, via Wikimedia Commons.
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