Agniveer extension explained: Who gets two more years, and what comes next

Agniveers who were due to leave the armed forces this year have been given a new way to stay in uniform. Chief of Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani announced on Wednesday (4 November) that the 75% of Agniveers who would have exited after their four-year term will be offered a two-year extension, after which those willing to continue can be enrolled in the regular forces. Here is what the Agniveer extension means.

What did the CDS say? “Today is a very significant day for the Indian Defence Forces and for our Agniveers. The Cabinet has created a pathway for all Agniveers to be absorbed into the Indian Armed Forces,” General Subramani said, according to ANI.

Who gets the extension? Under the Agnipath scheme, only up to 25% of each batch is kept on in the regular cadre after four years, chosen on merit. The other 75% were to return to civilian life. That 25% route stays as it is. The change is for the remaining 75%, who will now be offered an extra two-year engagement instead of being released.

Is it compulsory? No. The decision to continue in service will rest entirely with the individual, Hindustan Times reported, citing senior government officials.

What happens after the two years? Those who want to continue will be enrolled in the armed forces, subject to objective selection criteria, the CDS said. Their performance will be assessed again at the end of the extension, Aaj Tak reported.

Will they be paid more? Agniveers who get the extension will get “enhanced emoluments”, the CDS said, according to PTI. The new pay figures have not been made public yet.

How many people does this affect right now? The first batch had about 24,400 recruits: around 19,000 in the Army, 2,850 in the Indian Air Force and 2,550 in the Navy. Over 18,300 of them were due to leave by 31 December, in phases starting mid-November. Last month, the Air Force decided to retain 712 of its 2,850 first-batch Agniveers in the regular cadre.

Why now? The first batch is close to finishing its four-year term. General Subramani said the performance of Agniveers had been evaluated throughout their service, and the feedback had been “very positive”.

What is Agnipath? The scheme, announced on 14 June 2022, recruits young people below officer rank into the Army, Navy and Air Force for four years, with the aim of keeping the forces young. It has long been a political flashpoint because it cut the tenure and service benefits of these soldiers. The Army now has around 2,70,000 Agniveers, the Air Force about 27,000 and the Navy roughly 21,000, officials told Hindustan Times.