Explained: Government’s Agneepath plan to recruit soldiers for Army, Navy, Air Force
“We are going to do annual recruitment progressively under the scheme. From 40,000 recruitments this year, it will go up to 1.2 lakh by the seventh or eighth year and then 1.6 lakh by the tenth or eleventh year. All recruitments (except officers) will be done only under Agneepath,” the Army Vice President said in an exclusive interview to TOI.
very small Indian Air Force And Navy Will recruit 3,000 firefighters each year this year, with numbers increasing proportionately in the coming years. From each batch of Agniveers, only 25% of the “best of the best” would be placed in the Army for 15 years of service as regular cadre soldiers, with the other 75% being laid off after four years.
“The aim is ultimately to have regular cadre Sainiks (erstwhile Agniveers) and Agniveers (on a four-year tenure) in the ratio of 50:50. Reducing the average age of soldiers from the current 32 to 24-26 in six to seven years will lead to a more fit, tech-savvy army,” said Lt-Gen Raju.
There are widespread concerns that the radical plan to recruit large numbers of soldiers for only four years on an “all-India, all-class” basis would affect the army’s professionalism, regimental ethos and fighting spirit. It is also feared that this will lead to militarization of society and render more than 35,000 war-trained youth unemployed every year.
However, the army deputy chief said these concerns were largely false and misplaced. “Regimentation, ethos and brotherhood are an output of a group of soldiers living together, eating together and fighting together, regardless of whether they belong to a particular community or not. Undermine the core principles of ‘name, salt and mark’ will not be done.”
Today, about 75% of the army is made up of all-India, all-class regiments and units. “Rashtriya Rifles, Guard’s Brigade, para special forces Battalions and many such other units are practical examples of cohesiveness and well-conducted together,” he said.
As far as a large number of Agniveers enter the civil society every year, Lt Gen Raju said, “Why should a person’s mindset change just because he was not selected for the regular cadre? Rs 11.7 lakh Agniveer, disciplined and well-skilled with the exit package of ‘Sewa Nidhi’, will be eligible candidates for many public and private sector jobs. The government already has Central Armed Police Forces, Defense Security Corps, PSUs and other agencies and The department is working on a plan to include firefighters.
Will Agniveer be able to survive the risk, as most of them are looking for other careers? “If a soldier has to fire with his rifle, he will. Firefighters will be well trained. They will, in fact, compete with each other to join the regular cadre. I am sure the battalion commanding officer will be able to manage and handle it,” said Lt-Gen Raju.