India announces Agnipath scheme for recruitment in armed forces

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The government on June 14 announced a plan to bolster the armed forces by recruiting young soldiers under the so-called Agnipath scheme.

The proposal was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said.

The decision, aimed at lowering the average age of the forces, comes a couple of years after Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley.

Under the scheme, men between 17.5 years to 21 years of age will get a chance for long- and short-term service in the armed forces, officials said. The applicants need to meet the medical eligibility conditions laid down for enrolment in the armed forces as applicable to respective categories and must be educated up to the 10th or 12th standard.

The scheme will be progressively opened for women depending on service requirements, officials said.

As many as 46,000 Agniveers to be recruited this year, according to a government statement, with the first batch rallying in the next three months.

Those recruited will serve for four years, including training. After that, the so-called Agniveers can apply for regular cadres. Up to 25 percent of each batch could be selected depending on requirement.

The Agniveers will receive a yearly gross pay package of Rs 4.76 lakh in first year to Rs 6.92 lakh in fourth year, including the government’s contribution for the post service corpus. This implies a composite monthly pay package of Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000 in the fourth year. Agniveers will also additional receive risk and hardship allowances.

At the end of the four-year term, Agniveers will receive a Seva Nidhi of Rs 11.71 lakh, which will be tax exempt. However, there will be no entitlement to gratuity and pensionary benefits.

The Agniveers will be provided non-contributory life insurance cover of Rs 48 lakh for the duration of their engagement period in the armed forces.