NEW DELHI: The operational effectiveness of the armed forces will enhance with the rollout of the "Agnipath" scheme as the risk-taking capability of the personnel to be recruited under it would be higher because of their younger age profile, officials said on Wednesday.
The government unveiled the scheme on Tuesday for the recruitment of soldiers in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, largely on a four-year short-term contractual basis, in a major overhaul of the decades-old selection process.
Under the scheme, youngsters between the ages of 17 and a half and 21 years will be inducted into the three services.
After the completion of the four-year tenure, the scheme provides for retaining 25 per cent of the recruits for regular service.
"The operational effectiveness of the armed forces will be enhanced by this scheme. By having a younger profile, which is more fighting fit with less encumbrances, it is expected that the risk-taking capability of these personnel would be higher," a senior official said.
Lieutenant General Anil Puri, Additional Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs, on Tuesday said the new recruitment scheme is set to bring down the average age of a soldier from the current 32 years to 24-26 years in six to seven years.
The officials said the present pattern of selection in the armed forces is not being changed with the introduction of the scheme.
They said the only change that is happening is in the terms and conditions of the service.
"As all of you are aware, the three services have well-established selection centres spread over the country, which have enabled them to recruit people from even the remotest part of the nation," an official said.
"Since these very selection centres would continue to undertake the responsibility of recruiting personnel, we expect that the all-India representation would not be affected by the introduction of the scheme," he added.
The officials said the Indian Army will retain the regimental system, as the new scheme envisages selecting the best of the "Agniveers".
"We shall be retaining the regimental system since the scheme envisages selecting the best of the "Agniveers" and only those who proved their mettle, the cohesiveness of the unit would be ensured by these personnel," the official said.
"Further, these aspects would be focussed upon and accentuated by the training received once the Agniveer reaches the unit," he said.
The officials said with the infusion of technology and revamping of the training programme, the armed forces would ensure that the personnel inducted under the scheme have the same skill sets that are required to meet the operational challenges.
"Since the training standards are clearly defined, and monitored by the highest authorities in the armed forces, it would be ensured that the 'Agniveers' meet the highest professional standards," said the official cited above.
The personnel to be inducted under the Agnipath scheme would be known as "Agniveers".
The armed forces will recruit 46,000 "Agniveers" this year under the scheme.
The monthly salary of an "Agniveer" in the first year of employment would be Rs 30,000 and the in-hand amount would be Rs 21,000 as Rs 9,000 would go to a corpus with an equal contribution from the government.
Subsequently, the monthly salary in the second, third and fourth year will be Rs 33,000, Rs 36,500 and Rs 40,000.
Each "Agniveer" will get an amount of Rs 11.71 lakh as the "Seva Nidhi Package" and it will be exempted from income tax.
The recruitment process under the Agnipath scheme would start in 90 days.
The scheme is also expected to cut the ballooning salary and pensions bills of the armed forces as there will be no entitlement to gratuity and pensionary benefits.
The new recruits will be provided a non-contributory life insurance cover of Rs 48 lakh for the duration of their engagement period in the armed forces, according to the defence ministry.
The four-year tenure under the new scheme will include a training period of around two-and-a-half months to six months.
The Navy will recruit 3,000 out of the total 46,000 'Agniveers' to be recruited this year under the Agnipath scheme unveiled by the central government, Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Commander-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command said on Wednesday.
Talking to reporters, Singh said the number of recruits will increase based on the sanctioned strength of the Navy.
"The scheme is new and we have to adapt ourselves to it.
The Navy is going to recruit 3,000 (personnel) in the first year, the Air Force will recruit 3,500, while the Army will recruit 40,000.
That's the number for the first year.
"As the service requirement is there, the number will keep on increasing," Singh said, noting that the sanctioned strength will not come down.
Singh said the scheme is a great opportunity for the youth as the skill set and exposure they get will be "life-changing and add value to their careers".
With the new scheme, there will be no loss of training as being perceived, he said.
"Sailors do a basic training and then go for a specialised training. Whosoever is re-enrolled has already done four years in the Navy. He/she will get the same technical training. So there will be no loss of training as such (as) what is being perceived," Singh added.
The government on Tuesday unveiled the 'Agnipath' scheme for the recruitment of soldiers in the Army, Navy and the Air Force on a short-term contractual basis for four years to ensure a youthful profile of the armed forces.
The youths recruited under the scheme will be known as 'Agniveers'.
After completion of the four-year tenure, 25 per cent of the recruits from each specific batch would be offered regular service.
Under the scheme, around 46,000 soldiers will be recruited this year between the ages of 17 and a half years and 21 years into the three services, the defence ministry said.
After completion of the four-year tenure of the recruits, the scheme provides for retaining 25 per cent of each specific batch for regular service, based on organisational requirements and policies promulgated by the armed forces from time to time.
The monthly salary of an 'Agniveer' in the first year of employment would be Rs 30,000 and the in-hand amount would be Rs 21,000 as Rs 9,000 would go to a corpus and the government will make an equal contribution per month.
Subsequently, the monthly salary in the second, third and fourth year will be Rs 33,000, Rs 36,500 and Rs 40,000 respectively.
Each 'Agniveer' will get an amount of Rs 11.71 lakh as the 'Seva Nidhi Package' and it will be exempted from the income tax.
The scheme is also expected to cut the ballooning salary and pensions bills of the armed forces as there will be no entitlement to gratuity and pensionary benefits.
Keeping in mind the future career prospects of 'Agniveers', the Ministry of Education (MoE) will launch a special three-year skill-based bachelor degree programme for such defence personnel which will recognize the skill training received by them during their tenure in the defence establishments, officials said on Wednesday.
The degree programme offered by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)will be recognised both in India and abroad for employment and education.
Army, Navy and Air Force will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IGNOU for implementation of the scheme, the officials said.
The Centre on Tuesday unveiled a "transformative" scheme called 'Agnipath' for the recruitment of soldiers in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force largely on a short-term contractual basis to cut the ballooning salary and pension bills and enable a youthful profile of the armed forces.
Under the 'Agnipath' scheme, Indian youth will be provided an opportunity to serve in the armed forces as 'Agniveer'.
After completion of the four-year tenure of the recruits, the scheme provides for retaining 25 per cent of each specific batch for regular service, based on organisational requirements and policies promulgated by the armed forces from time to time.
"The degree programme will recognize in-service training received by Agniveers as credits for graduation and will open up opportunities for them to pursue civilian careers of their choice.
Under the programme, 50 per cent of the credits required for a graduate degree will come from skill training -- both technical and non-technical, received by the Agniveers," a senior MoE official said.
"The remaining 50 per cent credits will come from a basket of courses that cover a wide variety of subjects like languages, Economics, History, Political Science, Public Administration, Sociology, Mathematics, Education, Commerce, Tourism, Vocational Studies, Agriculture, 'Jyotish' and ability enhancement courses on Environmental Studies and English Communication Skills," the official added.
The programme is aligned with the norms of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the National Credit Framework and National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) as mandated under the new National Education Policy (NEP).
The framework of the programme has been duly recognised by concerned regulatory bodies -- All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) and UGC.
"It also has provisions for multiple exit points --undergraduate certificate on successful completion of first year courses, undergraduate diploma on successful completion of first and second year courses and degree on completion of all the courses in three-year timeframe," the official said.
"The degree will be awarded by IGNOU as per UGC nomenclature -- BA, BCom, BA (Vocational), BA (Tourism Management) -- and will be recognised both in India and abroad for employment and education," he said.