Agnipath scheme: Registrations for 1st batch to begin on June 24; online exams on July 24

Under the centre's new Agnipath recruitment scheme, the registration process for the first batch of Agniveers will begin on June 24 and the online examination would be held on July 24, a top military official informed on Sunday.

Addressing a joint press conference of the tri-services, Air Marshal SK Jha said, "Registration process for the first batch of Agniveers will start from June 24. The phase-1 online examination process would start on July 24. The first batch would be enrolled by December and training would commence by December 30."

Navy Chief of Personnel, Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi said, "From November 21 this year, the first naval Agniveers will start reaching and training establishment INS Chilka, Odisha. Both female and male Agniveers are allowed for this."

Additionally, Lt Gen Anil Puri, Secretary, Department of Military Affairs (DMA), Indian Army's Adjutant General Lt Gen Bansi Ponappa, Indian Navy's Chief of Personnel Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi and Indian Air Force's Personnel in charge Air Marshal SK JHA held a joint press conference on the Agniveer scheme on Sunday.

Lt Gen Puri said that the Centre will start with the recruitment of 46,000 Army aspirants to 'analyse' the scheme.
"In next 4-5 years, our intake (of soldiers) will be 50,000- 60,000 & will increase to 90,000- 1 lakh subsequently. We've stated small at 46,000 to analyse the scheme...and to build up infra capacity," said Lt Gen Puri.

He further said, "Our intake of Agniveers will go up to 1.25 lakhs in near future and will not remain at 46,000 which is the present figure."

Centre plans to aid Agniveers

Amid a freeze on recruitment rallies for two years owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Union Cabinet approved a new scheme called 'Agnipath' on June 14. Under the aegis of this scheme, 46,000 youths aged between 17.5-21 years would be recruited into the Armed Forces in 2022 for a period of 4 years. This is being touted as a major defence policy reform. Among the total recruits, 25% of Agniveers would be selected for enrolment in the Armed Forces as regular cadres. Apart from an attractive monthly salary, they will be given a one-time ‘SevaNidhi’ package of Rs.11 lakh at the end of their 4-year stint.

However, the Centre's announcement was followed by pan-India protests which witnessed vandalism, torching of railway trains, stone-pelting and attacks on police personnel. In the first attempt to assuage the protesters, the government increased the upper age limit for the recruitment via the Agnipath scheme to 23 years. 

Thereafter, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced a 10% reservation for Agniveers in Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles. Similarly, the Defence Ministry cleared a proposal to reserve 10% of posts for Agniveers in the Indian Coast Guard and all the 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings.

(With inputs from ANI)