Agnipath scheme revised: two-year extension opens pathway for all Agniveers to join regular cadre

Key facts

• The Union Cabinet approved a revision to the Agnipath scheme introducing an additional two-year engagement period for Agniveers completing their initial four-year tenure, on the recommendation of the three services, announced by Chief of Defence Staff Gen NS Raja Subramani.
• Under the revision, the first 25 per cent of Agniveers will be absorbed into the regular cadre after the initial four-year engagement period, while the remaining 75 per cent will be absorbed without any numerical limit after the second engagement period.
• The criteria for absorption into the regular cadre are that an Agniveer must be willing to join, physically fit and disciplined.
• Defence officials clarified the announcement is not a rollback of the Agnipath scheme but adds a two-year engagement period creating a pathway for all Agniveers to be absorbed as regular soldiers.
• The seniority of the 75 per cent of Agniveers not permanently absorbed after their initial four years will be protected; once absorbed, they will be placed immediately after their own batchmates who joined the regular cadre after the first four years and not below any subsequent batch.
• Rolled out in June 2022, the Agnipath scheme provided for recruitment of soldiers for a four-year tenure, with only 25 per cent of each batch eligible for retention in regular military service.
• The changes were announced just over three weeks before around 18,000 Agniveers were scheduled to complete their four-year tenure and exit the armed forces.
• Before the Cabinet approval, 75 per cent of Agniveers from the first batch were set to be released under the Agnipath scheme after the initial four-year service.