: In a significant decision concerning India’s military recruitment framework, the Union Cabinet has approved an additional two-year engagement period for Agniveers who were earlier scheduled to leave the Armed Forces after completing their initial four-year tenure under the Agnipath scheme.
The announcement was made by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General NS Raja Subramani while briefing the media following the Cabinet meeting in New Delhi.
Under the revised arrangement, the 75 per cent of Agniveers who are not initially selected for regular service will now be offered an additional two years of engagement. After completing this extended period, those willing to continue will have an opportunity to join the regular Armed Forces, subject to fulfilling the prescribed selection criteria.
The existing provision of enrolling 25 per cent of Agniveers into the regular forces on the basis of merit will continue.
General Raja Subramani said the decision followed continuous performance assessments of Agniveers during their four years of service. He noted that the feedback received from the Army regarding their performance had been encouraging.
He further stated that personnel offered the additional engagement period would receive higher remuneration. The revised arrangement is intended to provide experienced young personnel with further opportunities to serve the country while strengthening the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh welcomed the Cabinet’s decision and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving the additional two-year engagement, describing it as a ‘Second Tour of Duty’ under the Agnipath scheme.
Introduced on June 14, 2022, the Agnipath scheme was designed to recruit young personnel into the Army, Navy and Air Force for an initial four-year period. Under its original framework, 25 per cent of each batch could be retained in regular service based on merit, while the remaining personnel were scheduled to transition into civilian life after completing their engagement.
The latest decision introduces an additional opportunity for those not selected in the initial retention process, giving them more time to gain military experience and compete for regular enrolment.
The move is expected to have a significant impact on the career prospects of Agniveers approaching the completion of their initial service period
