Agnipath Scheme

Under the Agnipath Scheme, patriotic and driven young people are recruited into the Indian Armed Forces on a four-year contract. The Union Cabinet approved the measure on June 14, 2022, with the objective of making the military more youthful.

The key elements of the Agnipath Scheme are explained here.

• Recruitment: Only people aged between 17.5 and 21 years can apply to join (except for the first recruitment in 2022, when the age limit was raised to 23).
• Service Duration: Serving in the Agniveers program lasts for four years.
• Training: They go through the first level of military training.
• Deployment: Agniveers may end up being posted in any Army unit, as needed by the organization.
• Salary: Their monthly allowance will start from ₹30,000 and gradually rise to ₹40,000 by the fourth year, with a small amount set aside in a corpus fund.
• Seva Nidhi Package: After their four years of service, Agniveers are given a one-time “Seva Nidhi” package that adds up to approximately ₹11.71 lakh, consisting of what they contributed plus the same amount the government put in, along with interest. It is not subject to income tax.
• Opportunity for Permanent Enrollment: The regular cadre of the Armed Forces may welcome up to 25% of each batch of Agniveers if they succeed and are required by the organization. They do not have a guarantee that they will be chosen.
• Insurance: Life insurance of ₹48 lakh is given to Agniveers throughout the course of their service.
• Allowances: They are entitled to risk and hardship allowance and dress allowance when these are due.
• Exit: After four years, Agniveers return to society with a skill certificate and the Seva Nidhi package. The government aims to provide them with assistance for future employment through various avenues.