Defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Thursday called the revised Agniveer scheme a “win-win solution”, in response to a Cabinet decision allowing recruits a second two-year engagement period.
“… Defence minister Rajnath Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the decision, saying it would open a pathway for willing Agniveers to join the regular forces after four or six years of service. 25% of those [Agniveers] who complete their initial four-year engagement period will be enrolled as regular soldiers. Regarding the remaining 75%, the Indian Defence Forces have recommended—and the Cabinet has approved today—that they be granted a second engagement period of two years,” the CDS said. The 18,300 soldiers, who were to be released this year, account for three-fourths of the 24,400 recruits inducted into the army, air force and navy in the first round of recruitment. The first batch comprised around 19,000 Agniveers in the army, 2,850 in the IAF and 2,550 in the navy, according to official data.
“You can also call it a Diwali gift,” Singh said, speaking a day after the Cabinet cleared the change on Wednesday. He said the performance of Agniveers, including in various operations, had prompted the decision to offer them a second term. Singh added that the scheme’s four-year review mechanism was designed to assess the performance of Agniveers at the end of their initial period and said that the review found their performance strong enough to justify a second term.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General NS Raja Subramani on Wednesday announced that Union Cabinet approved a two-year extension of service for Agniveers.
Congress leader Pawan Khera called the move an “election gimmick” and questioned what would happen to the 75 per cent after the additional two years, warning that they risk being left “unemployed on the streets”.
