Amid ongoing discussions about the Agnipath policy for recruiting into the Indian armed forces, a senior Indian Army officer announced that around one lakh Agniveers have joined the force since the scheme’s inception.
Lieutenant General Channira Bansi Ponnappa, the army’s Adjutant General, shared that the scheme, launched in June 2022, saw its first batch recruited and enrolled by December 2022-January 2023. “Approximately one lakh Agniveers have been enrolled in the army, including around 200 women. Of these, about 70,000 recruits have been dispatched to their units and are performing exceptionally well. This includes around 100 female police personnel too,” he told news agency ANI.
Lieutenant General Ponnappa also mentioned that 50,000 vacancies have been released for the current 2024-25 cycle, with the recruitment process ongoing.
Addressing concerns raised by opposition parties, the senior officer dismissed the claim that Agnipath has created ‘two different classes’ of soldiers. “Agniveers undertake all actions – operational and professional duties – just like other sepoys or sepoy recruits on the ground. They are completely integrated into the units. They wear the same uniform and perform the same duties,” he emphasized.
The Agnipath scheme is a short-service recruitment policy where aspirants, called ‘Agniveers’, are inducted into the armed forces for four years. Both male and female aspirants aged 17.5 to 21 years are eligible. After four years, up to 25% of a retiring batch may be selected for the permanent cadre. Additionally, quotas have been announced for retirees in various central and state government services, including the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
The ruling BJP’s recent poor performance in some northern states, which traditionally contribute a large number of youths to the armed forces, has been partly attributed to the Agnipath scheme. A BJP ally has already called for a review of the policy.
This development highlights the significant changes in the Indian armed forces’ recruitment strategies and the ongoing efforts to integrate new recruits seamlessly into the military structure