Agnipath Scheme: Open Way To Recruit Youth In The Army, Know The Process Of Recruitment, Salary, Allowances, And Other Facilities
New Delhi : The Central Government has announced the Agnipath scheme to give short-term service opportunities to the youth in the three services under which the youth will be recruited into the armed forces for four years. Every year 46000 youths of 10th and 12th pass and seven and a half years of age 21 years will be recruited as Agniveer Jawans under this scheme and they will also be given a lump sum retirement fund with an attractive salary. With the help of this unique scheme, the appearance of the three forces will be more youthful and the average age of the soldiers will come down from 32 years to 26 years. Army, Navy, and Air Force will also give a fair chance to girls to be recruited as Agniveer.
The recruitment process will be started in the next 90 days
The Agnipath scheme was approved on Tuesday in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With the change in the pattern of the average age of the three services, this is a big decision of the government in order to give opportunities to the youth who want to join the armed forces. That is why after the meeting of the CCS, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh held a press conference with the chiefs of the three services and told them that the process of recruitment will be started in the next 90 days.
Why was the Agnipath scheme introduced?
Referring to the steps taken to strengthen the defense system in the last eight years, the Defense Minister said that the Agnipath scheme is being brought to make our forces the best army in the world. This will increase employment opportunities and at the same time, these Agniveers will be better prepared for jobs outside after getting specialized skill training after four years of military service. Rajnath said that in many state governments and central ministries, special job opportunities will be given to the firefighters and the states and departments will soon announce their policies in this regard.
How much salary will Agniveers get under the Agnipath scheme?
Under the Agniveer scheme, recruitment will be done at the national level instead of a particular regiment. Since Agniveers will have a tenure of only four years in the army, their training period will accordingly range from 10 weeks to six months. Agniveers will get an attractive annual package of Rs 4.76 lakh in the first year and 6.92 lakh in the fourth year. In the first year, the jawan recruited as Agniveer will get a salary of Rs 30000 every month, out of which 30 percent of the PF will be deducted i.e. Rs 9000 every month and the government will also give PF contribution of the same amount. Agniveer will get Rs 21000 in hand every month after full deduction. Every year it will increase by 10 percent and in the fourth ie last year, Rs 40000 will be available every month and the reduction in PF will be in the same proportion.
Service fund, insurance cover, and hardship allowance will also be available
Agniveer will get Rs 11.71 lakh as a lump sum service fund after four years as a retirement fund and will not attract any tax. Along with this, if posting takes place in difficult places, then you will get a hardship allowance like other soldiers of the army. Agniveers will also get an insurance cover of Rs 48 lakh and a compensation of about Rs 1 crore in case of death during four years of service.
Training of Agniveers will be a big help in alternative employment: Air Chief
Air Chief Marshal VR Choudhary said that the Agniveers who will be inducted into the Air Force will be given a chance to serve by giving them high skill training and when they go out after four years, their training will be a big help in alternative employment. Navy Chief Admiral Hari Kumar said that keeping in view the challenges of future warfare, the armies cannot follow the old pattern and the recruitment scheme of Agniveers is being started according to the new strategic requirements. The talent pool of these forces will increase and specially trained ITI youths will get a chance in the Navy.
The average age of jawans in Indian armies will be reduced to 26 years
After the Agnipath scheme, the average age of jawans in the Indian Armed Forces will come down to 26 years in six-seven years from the present average of 32 years. The Navy Chief said that these Agniveers would be deployed on all naval ships, submarines, aircraft, etc. and women would be recruited as sailors. Army Chief General Manoj Pandey said that the Agnipath scheme has been brought according to Indian needs after a lot of studies. This will also lead to a better balance of youth and experience in the army.
Agniveers will be selected under a transparent and intensive recruitment process
Alleging that the short service would put an adverse question on the capability of the forces, the Army Chief said there would be no compromise in the recruitment norms and the selection of Agniveers would be done through a transparent intensive recruitment process. Rejecting the question of bringing this temporary recruitment scheme to cut the expenditure of the army, Rajnath Singh said that we do not see the army from the point of view of saving and the government is also ready to spend more and more on the army according to the need.
