Major Relief for Agniveers

The Centre has reportedly approved a proposal to extend the service of Agniveers recruited under the Agnipath scheme, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) NS Raja Subramani said. Under the existing arrangement, 25 per cent of Agniveers are retained in the armed forces after completing four years of service, based on merit, while the remaining personnel leave the forces. Under the proposed changes, Agniveers completing their initial four-year term will receive a two-year extension. After this period, those interested in continuing will be considered for regular service based on eligibility, physical fitness, discipline and performance. The proposal was approved at a Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to the CDS. The decision is expected to benefit around 18,000 Agniveers whose service is due to end shortly. Nearly three lakh Agniveers are currently serving across the three armed forces.

During the two-year extension, Agniveers will reportedly receive a monthly salary of Rs.43,500 in the first year and Rs.47,500 in the second year. The government will also contribute additional amounts to their Seva Nidhi, taking the estimated fund to around Rs.10.92 lakh for the extended period. The CDS said the Agnipath scheme would continue and would not be scrapped. Separately, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Cabinet had approved four other schemes with a combined outlay of Rs.25,473 crore. These include increasing the number of fast-track special courts dealing with cases of sexual offences against children from 779 to 850 and extending the scheme until March 2031, with an allocation of Rs.3,788 crore. The Cabinet also approved measures to support critical mineral processing, expand renewable energy storage capacity and strengthen the country's statistical system.