Agnipath Scheme

Agnipath Scheme (also spelled Agneepath Scheme) (Hindi: Agnīpath Yojanā, transl. Agnipath [Fireway] Scheme) is a tour of duty style scheme approved by the Government of India on 14 June 2022 and implemented in the country a few months later in September 2022, for recruitment of soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers into the three services of the armed forces. All recruits will be hired only for a four year period. Personnel recruited under this system are to be called Agniveers (transl. Fire-Warriors), which will be a new military rank.

Although the scheme bypasses the traditional service benefits (such as pensions, rations, etc) allocated to personnel recruited in the armed forces, the government provides up to ₹50 lakh (US$59,000) rupees in insurance coverage, and they are entitled to receive a lump sum cash payment, a skill certificate and support for finding future employment upon discharge from service. Spokespersons from Indian National Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Communist Party of India, from the opposition camp, have issued statements criticising and expressing concerns about the consequences of the new scheme. They have asked the scheme to be put on hold and that the scheme be discussed in the Parliament.

Recently, during Operation Sindoor, 3,000 Agniveers played a crucial role in defending the Indian western border from drone attacks orchestrated by Pakistan in the recent 2025 India-Pakistan conflict.

Background

Prior to the introduction of the scheme, soldiers were recruited into the armed forces on a 15+ year tenure with lifelong pension. From 2019, no recruitment in the armed forces was done for three years. The Indian Government cited COVID-19 pandemic in India for this. Meanwhile 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers continued to retire annually, leading to a personnel shortage that had begun to affect the operational capabilities of the armed forces.

In 2020 a 'Tour of duty' scheme was proposed for voluntary recruitment into the forces for civilians to enable them to join for three years of short service. The proposed scheme was on a trial basis and was planned to start with a test group of 100 officers and 1000 soldiers.

The scheme has been taken to be named after Agnipath, a Hindi poem by Harivansh Rai Bachchan and a popular 1990 film of the same name based on the poem.

Overview

The Agnipath scheme was approved by the Indian Government in June 2022 to be implemented from September 2022. The announcement was done on 14 June 2022. The scheme is for both male and female aspirants of age group 17.5 to 21 years. In the midst of widespread protests against the scheme, the Central Government raised the upper limit from 21 to 23, but only for recruitment in the year 2022. The recruitment through this scheme is to be twice a year for the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force. The posts available are below the officer cadre.

The recruits named Agniveers serve for a tenure of four years that include training for six months followed by 3.5 years deployment. After retirement from the service, they will have the opportunity to apply to continue in the armed forces. Upto 25 percent of the total strength of the retiring batch will be selected for the permanent cadre. Personnel who retire after 4 years of service will not be eligible for pension, but will receive a lump sum amount of approximately ₹11.71 lakh (US$14,000) at the end of tenure. The Indian government plans to recruit 45,000 to 50,000 new personnel every year through this scheme. In September 2022, 46,000 youngsters were planned to be recruited through the scheme.

Reservation and welfare benefits

On 17 July 2022, Jammu and Kashmir's Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced a 10% reservation in Jammu and Kashmir Police service for those who retire after serving in the military under the Agnipath scheme.

On 12 July 2024, Central Industrial Security Force, Border Security Force and Railway Protection Force announced 10% reservation and age relaxation for former Agniveer soldiers. The reservation is also applicable within Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles.

On 17 July 2024, Government of Haryana announced 10% reservation in the police force of Haryana Police, mining guards and forest guards. The state government also announced incentives for private sector for hiring agniveers. Age relaxation for government jobs in Group B and C categories was also announced along with a 5% reservation in Group C jobs. The state government has also interest benefits for businesses set up by retired military under the Agnipath scheme. The chief minister also promised priority in government departments, boards and corporation jobs.

On 26 July 2024, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced 10% reservation and a 5-year age relaxation for Agniveers in the state's uniformed services.

Criticism

The scheme will not include long tenures, pensions, or other benefits that existed in the old system. Individuals aspiring to join Armed Forces were disappointed with the rules of the new scheme. The main causes of concern were the short length of service, no pension provisions for those released early, and the 17.5 to 21-year age restriction. Many of the current aspirants were rendered ineligible to serve in the Indian armed forces under these new rules.

Before the introduction of the new scheme for recruitment, Indian government did not produce any white papers. The scheme was neither debated in the parliament nor in the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence. No information about the scheme was given to the public prior to its announcement.

By political parties and activists

The Hindu in its editorial, asked the scheme to be put on hold and stated —

"If a soldier's job is now turned into contractual employment, it might not motivate aspirants who hope for job security, pension, and honour. The argument that defence should not be treated as an employment guarantee scheme is rhetorically impressive, but the fact is that from the manufacturing of arms to the employment of soldiers, the sector plays a critical role in the economy. For a country like India, where unemployment remains a major policy challenge, the concerns cannot be dismissed easily. The Government also faces the very credible charge that this is nothing more than a cost-cutting plan."