The first batch of around 25,000 Agniveers is scheduled to retire from the Army by December.
The armed forces are likely to provide the list of Agniveers eligible for recruitment into the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) under the government’s reservation policy for the temporary recruits, a government source told The Hindu .
the official said that the existing quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and other backward classes (OBCs) will continue to apply for recruitment into the CAPFs Although recruitment into the armed forces is not based on caste reservations.
It also announced a five-year age relaxation in recruitment for the first batch and three-year age relaxation for subsequent batches. “In the first phase, the concerned nodal force will conduct recruitment to fill the vacancies earmarked for ex-Agniveers, or in accordance with instructions issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) from time to time. Any vacancies reserved for ex-Agniveers that remain unfilled in the first phase will be added to the vacancies to be filled in the second phase.
The service tenure of personnel in the CAPFs extends up to the age of 60, whereas personnel in the armed forces retire much earlier. When a recruitment policy seeking to retain just 25% of Agniveers in the armed forces was announced in 2022, it was met with violent protests and agitations. The MHA then announced that 10% of all vacancies in the CAPFs would be reserved for the armed forces recruits who had completed four years of service under the Agnipath scheme. Following this, several State police forces also announced reservations for the Agniveers, ranging from 10% to 30%. Recruitment to the post of Constable (General Duty) will be carried out through direct recruitment, with 50% of vacancies in every recruitment year reserved for ex-Agniveers, the CRPF’s notification, issued on July 27, said. In the second phase, recruitment for the remaining 50% of vacancies will be conducted through an open examination under the existing recruitment provisions.
“During deliberations, it was felt that, if given a choice, many Agniveers would prefer to join the CAPFs rather than continue in the armed forces because of the longer career span and greater job security,” a government source said. “Therefore, it has been decided, at least initially, that the armed forces, beginning with the Army, which will witness the first batch of Agniveers retiring later this year, will provide the CAPFs with a list of eligible candidates for recruitment under the reserved quota,” the source added. The ex-Agniveers will be exempted from written examinations, physical standard tests, and physical efficiency tests, the notifications said. The existing reservation provisions for various categories will apply in both phases of recruitment,” the CRPF said.
