CHENNAI: Selection rally to recruit candidates for the first batch of 45,000 Agniveers for a four-year tenure in the armed forces is expected to be held in the next 90 days, said Lt General A Arun, General Officer Commanding, Dakshin Bharat Area.
Addressing a press conference in Chennai on Wednesday, the officer said candidates should have passed Class 10 and must be between 17-and-a-half years and 21 years. "They will not be sepoys of the Indian Army. They will be called Agniveers. Once they finish four years, drawing a monthly salary of Rs 30,000 per month in the first year and Rs 40,000 in the fourth year, 25% of them would be drafted as sepoys based on their performance. Others may be either drafted into Central Armed Police Forces or State police depending on requirement," he said.
"After completion of four years, Agniveers who had passed Class X exams will be eligible for Class XII certificate to help them pursue higher education or make them job-ready. The corpus of Rs 11.71 lakh earned in four years, which will be exempted from income tax, could help these youngsters pursue their career goals," said Lt Gen Arun.
The youngsters will be provided six months training, including weapons training, after which they will be posted in field areas. The youngsters would also be eligible for various allowance s the jawans are entitled to while serving in strife-torn areas. This would help Agniveers save a large part of their salary. They will also be entitled to 30 days of paid leave every year.
In case of death, each Agniveer will be entitled to non-contributory life insurance cover of Rs 48 lakh, additional ex gratia of Rs 44 lakh for death attributable to service, and pay for unserved portion of up to four years including 'seva nidhi' component.