NEW DELHI: AMID the anger against the new Agnipath recruitment plan for the armed forces, the three Services chiefs met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and apprised him about their plans for the implementation of the scheme.
It is learnt that the PM and the three chiefs agreed that the “scheme will not be rolled back” and discussed what more could be done to ensure that Agniveers get employment after four-year military service. The Army, the Navy and the Air Force have rolled out detailed plans for recruitment of Agniveers.
The three military services said the Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, will not entail any change in the existing system of recruitment of soldiers and will not impact their combat capabilities and operational readiness. “What happened five years ago, the same will continue,” said Lt Gen Anil Puri, Additional Secretary, Department of Military Affairs. Those recruited under the scheme will be eligible for gallantry awards.
Lt-Gen Puri said the new scheme was aimed at making the age profile of the forces youthful. Emphasizing that the exercise was not aimed at rightsizing the forces but to lower their age-profile and enhance their overall capability, he said, “At present the age profile of the manpower in the forces is 32 years and it will come down to 26 in next six-seven years.”
Training time to depend on choice of service
The duration of training of candidates joining Agnipath will depend on the choice of their arm and service. The training duration will be more in a few cases. “We have compressed the old training schedule comprising technology simulator and intense training which we want to extend from 24 weeks to 31 weeks,” said Lt-Gen CB Ponappa, Adjutant General of the Army.
As per the old system, Navy sailors were imparted 20-22-week basic training, two-week ship orientation and again 20-22 weeks of professional training. Over all, as per the Agniveer scheme, training duration will be reduced by four weeks.
The Army under the old system imparted 9 months of basic training to its recruits after which they joined the units. Every unit held two weeks of cadre course to make the new recruits aware of the unit’s history and traditions.
IAF’s airmen were given six-month basic training. After that, depending on the trade, additional six months to two years’ training was given to them.The Army will be holding more than 80 recruitment rallies for the Agniveers for which the process has begun with the Army issuing a notice on Monday. The first batch of trainees will join in December and the second in February. There has been no change as far as the standard of recruitment is concerned, said officers. The foreseen responsibilities will be technical for which technically oriented jawans are needed.
The Navy is working to improve the trainer-trainee ratio. It will use more simulators, said Vice Admiral DK Tripathi, the Chief of Personnel of the Navy. The Navy has signed an MoU with the Directorate General of Shipping according to which not only the Agniveer sailors but officers will also be able to join the Merchant Navy.
Induction timeline
Army
Notification issued on June 20
Online rally registration to commence on July 1
Recruitment rally in Aug 2nd week
The first batch’s entrance exam on Oct 16 and Nov 13
1st batch to report to training centres in December 2022
To report to units in July 2023
Navy
Online registration to open on July 1
Notification to be issued on July 9
Application window: July 15-30
Examination and physical fitness tests to be held in mid-Oct
Medicals & joining to begin on Nov 21
IAF
Registration from June 24 to July 5
Call letter for phase-II on Aug 10; to be conducted between Aug 21 and 28
Medicals for second phase between Aug 28 and Nov 8
Enrollment list and call letter to be issued by Dec 11
Enrollment period: Dec 22-29
Course to commence on Dec 30