The Indian government’s radical plan for military recruitment ‘Agnipath’ was unveiled today. On Tuesday, Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh took the stage with the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs to announce the new reform scheme coming into effect immediately. Troops recruited under the Agnipath scheme will be labelled Agniveers.

The Indian government issued a statement regarding its new Agnipath scheme which read – “This is a major defence policy reform introduced by the Government to usher in a new era in the Human Resource policy of the three services. The policy, which comes into immediate effect, will hereafter govern the enrolment for the three services.”

Under the new initiative, Indian soldiers will be leaving their service in four years with the government’s aim of keeping the military forces leaner than ever before. Of the total recruited persons, 25% of troops will be eligible to continue their service for the next 15 years. The initiative will also put less pressure on the government’s pension plans for defence forces.

One of the major decisions came in the form of allowing women to be inducted in the armed forces progressively in the upcoming years. ‘Agniveers’ recruited under the scheme will receive wide range of training by IAF. “I invite the aspiring youth of India to seize this unique opportunity to serve the nation & touch the sky with glory,” said newly appointed Chief of the Air, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.

Contents hide
1. The Facts of the Matter
2. 25% of Total Recruits Eligible for Service For Another 15 Yrs
3. Eligibility Criteria
4. Salary Under Agnipath Scheme
5. Soldiers will be Insured with Rs. 48 Lakhs Life Insurance

The Facts of the Matter

On Tuesday, the Narendra Modi led Indian government announced one of its most radical and ambitious defence-related schemes ‘Agnipath’. Soldiers under Agnipath scheme will be given the distinct title of ‘Agniveer’. Agniveers will form a distinct ranked within all three services of Indian defence forces – Army, Navy and Air Force. Under the new scheme which is effective immediately, as many as 46,000 soldiers will be recruited this year.

25% of Total Recruits Eligible for Service For Another 15 Yrs

In order to keep the armed forces leaner and meaner than ever before, only 25% of the total recruits under the new Agnipath scheme will be allowed to continue their service for the next 15 years. The move will also help the Indian government reduce its defence pension spending. Currently, Indian army is over 13 lakh personnel strong.

Eligibility Criteria

The new Agnipath scheme is open effective as of now for aspirants who are not joining the defence forces as commissioned officers. Aspirants aged between 17.5 and 21 will be eligible to apply. Under the new scheme, the recruitment standards are reported to be the same. Aspirants will be eligible to apply twice in one year through rallies.

Salary Under Agnipath Scheme

In the new scheme, ‘Agniveers’ will receive a starting salary of Rs. 30,000, excluding additional benefits which will add up the remuneration to Rs. 40,000 at the end of their next-four years of service. It should be noted that the government has planned to put aside 30% of the salaries under its Seva Nidhi initiative, and the government will add equal sum every month, which will be eligible for interest as well.

Soldiers will be Insured with Rs. 48 Lakhs Life Insurance

At the end of the four-year service, soldiers under the Agnipath scheme will receive Rs. 11.7 lakhs, all tax free. They will be insured with a Rs. 48 lakhs of life insurance. In case of casualty, a pay out of Rs. 1 crore will be released.

 

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