What is the Agneepath Scheme in India?

Minakshi Bindhani

31 Mar, 2023

The Union Cabinet took a historic decision approving an attractive recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces for which a scheme has been introduced with the name AGNEEPATH (AGNIPATH). The youth selected under the Agneepath scheme will be categorised as Agniveers. After the announcement of this Agnipath Scheme, a window of opportunity has been opened for the youths to serve their nation for four years.

What is Agneepath Scheme?

Agneepath/ Agnipath Scheme is a recruitment process launched by the Central Government wherein selected candidates will be enrolled as Agniveers for four years in Indian Armed Forces. The Armed Forces will recruit 46,000 Agniveers this year through the Agnipath/Agneepath scheme. After four years, Aginveers will go to society as a disciplined, dynamic, motivated, and skilled workforce for employment in other sectors to pursue their career in the job of their choice.

Agneepath Scheme is a step that is initiated for the recruitment of 46,000+ Agniveers to the Indian Army, Indian Navy & India Air Force. The entry through Agneepath Scheme 2022 would be done for four years initially. During these four years, the armed forces would train the recruits in the required skills. The Agnipath recruitment scheme is a transformative initiative providing a youthful profile to the armed forces. Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said women would be inducted into the armed forces under the new scheme. Officials, however, added that the recruitment of women under the scheme would depend on the needs of the respective services.

Scheme details

Agneepath scheme is a recruitment scheme for Indian youth who wants to join the Armed Forces. The agneepath scheme is a recruitment process for individuals below the officer rank to deploy younger troops on the front lines; many will be on four-year contracts. It’s an excellent opportunity to serve the Indian Army, Indian Navy & Indian Air Force a young image.

Objectives

The scheme is a program of the Indian Government. There are some extensive objectives for which the Government is working that are:

• The youth of the country who joined the Indian Armed Forces (IAF^[1]) would enhance their abilities to be their best shortly.
• This opportunity provides the country’s youth keen to serve in the Armed Forces for a shorter period.
• The program attracts young talent to adapt, exploit, and use modern technologies with the new and advanced intake threshold while leveraging the country’s technical institutions.

What is an Agniveer?

In the Agneepath Scheme, the youth of the nation who are between the age of 17 and a half to 21 years can be extended up to the age limit of 23 years. The youth recruited under this scheme are recruited as “AGNIVEERS”.

Eligibility criteria

• Candidates are between the ages of 17 ¹/² to 21.
• A recognised board must certify them.
• A minimum of 50 percentage points in 10+2 is required.

Medical Standards

Certain medical eligibility conditions exist for the candidate’s enrolment in the Indian Armed Forces (IAF) based on the categories. Any Agniveer with a low medical category can continue in the forces as an Agniveer.

Procedure for recruitment

The selection method of the Agniveer is purely based on their performances in the physical test, their medical test & the training program.

Training

After enrolment, candidates will be provided military training based on their organisational requirements.

Assessment

The Indian Armed Forces will endeavour to maintain the centralised high-quality database of the Agniveers. The method of assessment is transparent. The skills of the Agniveers will be maintained systematically; they will be given extensive guidelines before their appointment in the batches.

 Uniform

They will wear a distinctive uniform during their engagement period as Agniveer.

Honours and Awards

The Agniveers will be entitled to different awards based on the guidelines & the governance in their respective organisations.

Benefits and Advantages

• Agniveers would have various career options after enlisting in the scheme.
• The Indian Army would allow the soldiers to serve as permanent soldiers for the country.
• Soldiers who will be released after 3 years of service would be capable of competing in the civilian world with the aid of the Indian Army.
• Many corporate industries and the large multinational corporations have also expressed their interest in hiring “Agniveers.”
• The scheme is also beneficial for Agniveers’ personal development. It would be given to the disciplined lifestyle of the armed forces.
• They could begin a fit & healthy lifestyle after the specialised training.
• It would benefit the Government to save a great deal of money & utilise it on defence force modernisation.
• The Indian Government has promised to reserve 10% of the defence and home ministries positions for “Agniveers.”
• Rajnath Singh, the Union Defense Minister of India, said that 10% of the employment in the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) would be earmarked for agniveers. The 16 state-owned businesses under the Ministry of Defence are subject to the same rules, and 10% of the available slots in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) & Assam Rifles will be earmarked for agniveers, according to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
• The Civil Aviation Ministry has also guaranteed that steps will be taken to hire technically skilled Agniveers for various purposes.
• As per the recent announcement from the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), Agniveers affiliated with would be able to take unique courses to earn their class 10th & 12th pass certifications. According to the Union Ministry of Education, a three-year particular technical education programme for agricultural workers will be offered at the undergraduate level.
• The chief minister of Haryana has declared that the Agniveers would be given preference in hiring.

Conclusion

Agneepath scheme will reveal itself as it is implemented in the next few years. In many parts of the world, militaries have implemented structural reforms in response to geopolitical shifts, the changing nature of warfare, and the national security threat landscape. India’s steps are in line with the more significant trends. While the global experience in short-term military enlistment offers templates for the Indian military to understand and assess its advantages and disadvantages, the Indian experience will also be unique given the size of its armed forces and young demography.

Agnipath promises a structural overhaul by reopening the affordable defence debate. The high maintenance costs of soldiers in the armed forces have raised concerns. Indian defence planners must devote more resources to modernisation and increased investments in cyber, space, and emerging technologies. As India seeks to reorient its strategic outlook to find a continental-maritime balance, technology must gain centre space, even as the demands of combat, capacities, and training are changing. The scheme is expected to fill this deficit in specific ways.

Also Read: What is Production Linked Incentive Scheme?