4-year 'Agniveers' to get priority for jobs in paramilitary forces, Assam Rifles: Home Min

In a major development, the Centre will now prioritise 'Agniveers' who have completed the Agnipath scheme's 4-year tenure for jobs in paramilitary forces & Assam Rifles. Home Minister Amit Shah has now informed that the Centre will give priority to 'Agniveers' for jobs in these. This comes a day after the new military recruitment scheme was unveiled.

The Home Minister’s office on Wednesday announced that the Centre will now prioritise 'Agniveers' who have completed 4 years under this scheme for CAPF and Assam Rifles placement. “Agnipath Yojana is a visionary and welcome decision of @narendramodiji for the bright future of youth. In this context, today the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to give priority to Agniveers who have completed 4 years under this scheme in the recruitment of CAPFs and Assam Rifles,” the HMO tweeted in Hindi.

It is pertinent to note that the newly announced Agnipath will govern the recruitment of personnel below officer rank (PBOR) in the Indian armed forces. The recruits, to be known as Agniveers, will form a distinct rank in the tri-services for four years. 

Agnipath recruitment scheme

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday announced the Agnipath recruitment scheme for India's armed forces. Under this scheme, the selected candidates will be addressed as 'Agniveers' who will be enrolled under their respective tri-services for four years, and even after that, they will be allowed to work as volunteers, though only 25% will be absorbed into the forces for a continued tenure. The three service chiefs at a press conference announced all the details related to the recruitment process of Agniveers at the different services of the military including, the Army, Air Force, and Navy. Through this recruitment, nearly 50,000 people will be selected, and the recruitment procedure will go up by 5,000 every year. 

Launched by the Defence Ministry, the Agnipath scheme will recruit more than 45,000 youngsters between the age of 17.5 to 21 years on an annual basis for a four-year duration, which will include six months of basic training and a monthly allowance of Rs 30,000 to 40,000. The selected candidates will also be entitled to medals, awards, and insurance coverage like the regular cadre of soldiers, airmen, and sailors. The pan-India recruitment scheme aims to recruit more and more youngsters and reduce the expenditure and age profile of the defence forces. The 'Agniveers' will also don a distinct insignia as part of their uniform.

Image: PTI