The Centre has introduced a revised pathway for the absorption of Agniveers into the regular Armed Forces, offering an additional two-year engagement period to the 75% who would otherwise leave the service after completing their initial four-year tenure.
Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani on Wednesday said the Cabinet had created a provision under which the remaining 75% of Agniveers would be offered an additional two years of engagement, after which those willing to continue would be enrolled into the Armed Forces, subject to objective selection criteria.
"Today is a very significant day for the Indian Defence Forces and for our Agniveers. The Cabinet has created a pathway for all Agniveers to be absorbed into the Indian Armed Forces," he said.
The announcement comes as the first batch of Agniveers, recruited under the Agnipath scheme introduced on June 14, 2022, approaches the completion of its four-year tenure.
Raja Subramani said the performance of Agniveers had been continuously evaluated during the four-year period and that the scheme was subject to periodic reviews. The feedback received on their performance had been "very positive", he added.
Under the original framework, 25% of Agniveers were eligible for enrolment into the regular forces based on merit, while the remaining 75% were to return to civilian life after completing their four-year service.
The revised arrangement offers the latter group an additional two years of engagement before providing another opportunity to join the regular Armed Forces.
The selection for enrolment after the extended period will be governed by objective criteria, the CDS said.
(With inputs from ANI)