Centre Extends Agniveers’ Service Tenure

The Central Government has reportedly taken a significant decision regarding the Agnipath recruitment scheme for the armed forces by extending the service tenure of Agniveers by two years. With this move, their existing four-year service period will increase to six years. The decision comes ahead of the scheduled exit of approximately 18,000 Agniveers from the three services on December 31 this year. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the move.

Chief of Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani announced the decision, stating that all Agniveers would be given an opportunity to continue serving in the armed forces. Those receiving the two-year extension will be considered for permanent positions based on an assessment of their performance. Under the existing system, Agniveers complete four years of service, after which up to 25% of them can be absorbed into the regular armed forces based on their performance and the organisational requirements of the services. The remaining personnel are provided with a financial package and skill certificates to help them pursue employment opportunities in the civilian sector.