NEW DELHI, November 4 (Aalimi Nation) – The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a two-year extension of service for Agniveers who were due to leave the armed forces after completing four years, a decision announced in New Delhi by Chief of Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani.
What the Agniveer extension covers
Under the original Agnipath design, a recruit served four years and about one-quarter of each batch was selected on merit for permanent enrolment, while the remaining 75 per cent exited. The Cabinet decision gives that 75 per cent an additional engagement period of two years, taking their total service to six years for those who opt in.
General Subramani said those who take up the extension will receive higher remuneration. He also said the Seva Nidhi exit package would be enhanced; detailed figures were not immediately available. After the additional period, willing Agniveers can seek enrolment into the regular cadre of the armed forces, subject to objective selection criteria and a performance assessment.
"The Cabinet has created a pathway for all Agniveers to be absorbed into the Indian Army," the Chief of Defence Staff said. He described it as "an important day for Agniveers and the armed forces." He added that the 75 per cent not selected earlier "will now be offered an additional engagement period of two years."
Why the decision comes now
The Agnipath scheme was introduced on June 14, 2022, for the Army, Navy and Air Force. The first batch is now close to completing its four-year term, which means thousands of young recruits were approaching the exit that the scheme originally prescribed for most of them. Under the scheme, Agniveers undergo continuous performance evaluation throughout their service. The CDS said performance evaluations over the four years had produced positive feedback from the services, and that the scheme will continue to be reviewed periodically. Recruitment has expanded, with Agniveers now enrolled from almost every district, he added.
The scheme has drawn debate since its launch. Several state governments, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Maharashtra, have offered reservations in police and other services for former Agniveers, a step that followed concerns about what recruits would do after four years. The Congress has in the past criticised the scheme and promised in its 2024 election manifesto to scrap it, while the government has defended it as a way to keep the armed forces young and fit. No reaction to the Cabinet's latest decision from the Congress or other opposition parties was available at the time of writing.
The decision means each force will now have three groups of Agniveers: those completing the standard four-year term, those serving the two-year extension, and those selected for permanent absorption. The extension is voluntary. How the additional pay will be structured, and how many places will be open in the regular cadre afterwards, had not been publicly detailed at the time of writing.
