New Delhi: All Agniveers completing the additional two-year engagement under the revised Agnipath scheme will be eligible for regular enrolment without a fixed percentage ceiling, provided they are willing, physically fit and disciplined. The defence officials have also clarified that their seniority will be protected and that the recruitment scheme has not been rolled back.
The clarification follows the Union Cabinet’s Wednesday decision to offer an additional two-year engagement to the 75 per cent of Agniveers who would otherwise leave after four years. The revised framework creates a second pathway to regular service while retaining the existing merit-based selection of 25 per cent after the initial tenure.
Defence sources have addressed three key questions arising from the announcement.
First, on the question of whether all Agniveers are going to be absorbed after six years, they said this will indeed be the case. They said, “All Agniveers will now be absorbed in the regular cadre. The first 25 per cent will be absorbed after the first engagement period of four years, and all of the balance 75 per cent will be absorbed (without any limit) after the second engagement period.”
The key criteria will be the Agniveer’s willingness, physical fitness and discipline showed during his tenure.
On the seniority factor of those who serve as Agniveers and then permanently absorbed, the sources said their seniority will be protected.
The sources said, “On becoming regulars, they will be placed immediately after their own batchmates who joined the regular cadre after four years. They will therefore not become junior to any subsequent batch.”
Regarding the speculation whether the scheme has been effectively rolled back, the officials said that has not been, but only certain changes have been made. They clarified, “Only another engagement period of two years has been introduced, which creates a pathway for all Agniveers to be absorbed as regular soldiers after this engagement period.”
The chief of defence staff, General NS Raja Subramani, announced the cabinet decision following an assessment of Agniveers’ operational performance, physical fitness, discipline and technological capabilities. The additional engagement will carry higher remuneration, an enhanced Seva Nidhi package and seniority benefits, as outlined in the Ministry of Defence’s Wednesday announcement.
The changes come as approximately 18,300 Agniveers from the first batch approach completion of their original four-year tenure by December this year.
The revised service structure and financial benefits were detailed in RNA Media’s earlier explainer, while the wednesday defence report covered the CDS announcement and the additional opportunity for regular enrolment.
The latest clarification addresses uncertainty over permanent absorption and seniority for personnel approaching the end of their initial engagement, while detailed implementation instructions across the three services remain awaited.