New Delhi: The Centre has announced a two-year service extension for the 75 per cent of Agniveers who would otherwise leave the armed forces after completing their initial four-year tenure under the Agnipath scheme. The decision will allow eligible personnel to serve for up to six years and subsequently seek enrolment in the regular cadre.
The chief of defence staff, General NS Raja Subramani, announced the decision during a Cabinet briefing on Wednesday, following feedback from military commanders and Agniveers on the scheme’s implementation. The existing provision allowing up to 25 per cent of each batch to join the regular cadre based on merit and organizational requirements will continue.
The remaining personnel will be offered an additional two-year engagement, extending their military service beyond the original four-year period.
Agniveers completing six years will also have an opportunity to seek regular enrolment, subject to merit and performance assessment, the CDS said. However, the additional service period does not guarantee permanent absorption.
The announcement comes weeks before the first batch of Agniveers, recruited in 2022, was scheduled to complete its original tenure.
More than 18,300 Agniveers were expected to leave by December 31, this year, representing approximately three-fourths of the 24,400 personnel inducted into the Army, Navy and Air Force during the initial recruitment cycle.
The first departures were expected to begin in November, making the extension significant for personnel approaching discharge. The decision to continue serving will rest with individual Agniveers.
The CDS also highlighted the recruitment examination process and skill certification for personnel completing military service.
The written examination now precedes physical fitness tests, although the Indian Army introduced this procedure in April 2023 through its computer-based common entrance examination.
Similarly, skill certification arrangements have existed since December 2022, when agreements were signed to recognize competencies acquired during military service.
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship had informed Parliament in March this year that more than 325 military skill sets had been mapped to industry-aligned qualifications.
These certificates formally recognize military training and experience but do not guarantee civilian employment.
The Agnipath scheme was launched on June 14, 2022, introducing four-year recruitment into the Army, Navy and Air Force to develop a younger, technologically equipped military workforce.
Under the original framework, Agniveers completing four years without regular enrolment receive a one-time Seva Nidhi package but are not entitled to regular pension or gratuity benefits.
The revised arrangement allows the armed forces to retain trained personnel longer while giving eligible Agniveers additional service opportunities.
However, detailed service-wise implementation rules, including the implications for pay, exit benefits and selection procedures after six years, have yet to be formally clarified.