The Centre has announced an extension of service tenure by two years for seventy-five percent of Agniveers who are not enrolled permanently after their four-year tenure. The decision comes as around 18,000 Agniveers from the first batch are expected to complete their tenure in December.
On Wednesday, Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani announced that seventy-five percent of Agniveers who are not enrolled permanently after their four-year tenure will be given an option to extend their service by two more years. This decision was taken after the evaluation of the performance of the Agniveers, and the Indian defence forces recommended this extension to the government.
The introduction of the Agnipath short-term recruitment scheme on June 14, 2022, had triggered protests in several states as aspirants demanded permanent recruitment with pension benefits. However, it is important to note that Agniveers are not entitled to pension and emoluments on the completion of the four years of service but instead offered a lump-sum package.
Under the Agnipath scheme, citizens aged between 17 and a half and 21 years are eligible to apply for a four-year term in the military with a provision that 25% of them will be retained for permanent service and will be required to serve for a minimum of 15 years. Approximately 18,000 Agniveers from the first batch are expected to complete their four-year tenure and exit in December. There are currently around three lakh Agniveers in the defence forces.
Agniveers who opt for the additional two-year service will receive higher salaries and an increased Seva Nidhi package if they choose to leave the armed forces after completing the extended tenure.
Source:
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