What is Agniveer/Agnipath Yojna?
The union cabinet of India approved one of the attractive schemes for Indian youth through that they can join Indian armed forces. The name of this scheme is Agnipath and selected candidates under this scheme known as Agniveer.
India’s youth is set to play a crucial role in realising the dream of building an Aatma Nirbhar, Sashakt Bharat. And Agnipath scheme will take them a step closer. It is a unique opportunity to fulfil their dream of joining the Armed Forces & serving the Nation.
The scheme will not only empower, discipline & skill youth with military ethos in civil society but also improve battle preparedness suited to the changing dynamics.
Policy Features/Objectives
The Agnipath Scheme is an ambitious program of the Indian Government.
There are some broader objectives for which the government is working, that are:
- The Youthful Profile of the Indian Armed Forces should be enhanced, so that they can be their best during all the fighting with an increased risk-taking ability of every individual.
- This opportunity provides the country’s youth who are keen to serve in the Indian Armed Forces for a shorter period.
- The program attracts young talent of the country to adopt, exploit, and use the modern technologies with the new and advanced thresholds the intake while they are leveraging the Technical Institutions of the country.
- This program also helps in developing different qualities and abilities amongst the recruits, such as dynamism, motivation, discipline, and work skills.
- The program able looks forward to imbibing the Armed forces ethos, courage, commitment, camaraderie, and the skill of teamwork in the youth.
Eligibility of being an Agniveer
The Indian Army has released the Indian Army Agniveer eligibility criteria 2023 for all the profiles, GD, Clerk and Tradesman. Candidates can check the Indian Army Agniveer eligibility criteria before filling out the application form for the recruitment. Get a complete insight into the Indian Army Agniveer scheme launched by the Indian Defence forces here.
- The minimum age for the Indian Army Agniveer profile is 17.5 years and the upper age limit is 23 years.
- The candidates should have passed class 10 or 10+2 from a recognised board with a minimum passing mark.
- The candidates have to make sure that they submit their domicile certificate issued by the Tehsildar or District Magistrate
Yojna Enrolment Process
Anyone who is qualified to application for the job should fill out the form; below is the whole procedure.
- To register for Agniveer Agnipath Program, first go to Ministry of Defence’s official website, www.mod.gov.in.
- After entering the official notification, you will be sent to the site’s main page, where you must look for the Agnipath registration link. Which will be accessible via the What’s new section.
- When you discover the link, simply click on it to be directed to a new page where the application form would appear in front of you.
- When the registration form for recruiting becomes available, you should begin filling it out.
- Fill out all the form’s filled data, and afterwards submit all of the scanned papers with online application.
- After uploading the papers with the form, you must pay the money and then preview the entire application form.
- After checking the request form, click the submit button to have your information saved.
- You can apply again for Agniveer Agnipath program application form by following the steps outlined above.
Aspirants must upload several crucial papers before completing the application form. No initial application would be approved by the authorities if the papers are not uploaded, therefore please follow the rules. The papers you must upload are listed below:
- Address Specifics.
- Identification.
- Aadhar card, Pan card, and voter identification card.
- Passport and driving licence and Scanned signature.
- Photograph scanned.
Benefits of Being an Agniveer
| Year | Cutomised Package (Per Month) | In Hand (70%) (Per Month) | Total In-Hand Salary (Per Year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Year | INR 30,000 | INR 21,000 | INR 2,52,000 |
| 2nd Year | INR 33,000 | INR 23,100 | INR 2,77,200 |
| 3rd Year | INR 36,500 | INR 25,580 | INR 3,06,960 |
| 4th Year | INR 40,000 | INR 28,000 | INR 3,36,000 |
Beside the salary, an Agniveer will get the following benefits as well
- During their engagement period, the Agniveer get an annual leave of up to 30 days per year along with additional sick leaves based on medical advice.
- Agniveers will get the applicable Risk and Hardship, Ration, Dress and Travel Allowances as per the norms laid down by the Government of India.
- They will be exempted from paying any amount for Armed Forces Personnel Provident Fund or any other Provident Fund.
- They will be given a non-contributory life insurance cover of INR 48 Lakhs during their engagement period, but they will not be eligible for Army Group Insurance Fund (AGIF) Schemes/ Benefits.
- They will be entitles to honours and awards as per the governing norms of the Indian Army.
- While their engagement period, Agniveer will be entitled for medical facility at military hospitals as well as CSD provisions.
Agnipath Scheme Benefits of Exiting After 4 Years
- Seva Nidhi Package: The candidates will get the corpus amount of 10.04 Lakhs plus the accrued interest while being discharged of their services.
- ‘Agniveer’ Skill Certificate: A detailed skill set certificate highlighting their skills and the level of competency will be given to the Agniveers at the end of their tenure,
- Class 12 Certificate: For candidates being enrolled after Class 10th, a certificate for Class 12 or equivalent based on their skills will be offered at the end of the engagement period.
- Agniveer would have a variety of career options following enlisting in the army.
- The Indian Army would have the opportunity to retain some of them, and they’ll be able to serve as permanent soldiers for the country.
- Soldiers who are released after three years of service would be capable of competing in the civilian world with the help of the Indian Army.
- Many corporate industries & large multinational corporations have expressed interest in hiring “Agniveers.”
- The Scheme May Also Be Beneficial for Agniveers’ Personal Development. They will be exposed to the disciplined lifestyle of the armed forces.
- They would be able to begin a fit & healthy lifestyle thanks to the specialized training which the employees will receive.
- Would Benefit the Government Save a great deal of money & utilize it on defence force modernisation.
Agniveer Army Entitlement on Death/ Disability
Agniveer candidates of Army are entitled to the the following emoluments in case of death or disability.
All the details and amounts mentioned here are as mentioned in the official notification. All of these are subject to change if deemed fit by the authorities. The allowances received by the Agniveers depend on the Government’s policies and can be changed any time.
| Category | Entitlements for Agniveer Army |
|---|---|
| Death in Service on Bonafide Duty (Category Y/Z) |
|
| Death in Service not on Duty (Category X) |
|
| Disability (attributed aggravated due to service conditions) |
|
Selection Process
The recruitment process for Indian Army Agniveer shall be held in two phases. As per the latest notification, Indian Army has modified the sequence of selection process for Agniveer intake.
Phase 1: Online Combined Entrance Exam
Online test will be objective Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ). As per the category of the application of a candidate, the exam pattern shall differ. However, the marking scheme shall remain the same for all posts. Proportionate to the vacancies available, candidates would be shortlisted by applying a cut off in online CEE result. Candidates who reach the merit list shall be called for the Phase 2.
Phase 2: Recruitment Rally
Shortlisted candidates have to report on the stipulated date and time for the Phase 2 at the designated Recruitment Rally venue with required documents/certificates. Candidates who clear the Online CEE shall be called for the recruitment rally dates as their respective ARO/IRO/RO. At the Recruitment Rally Site, candidates shall be tested as stated below:
- Physical Fitness Test (At Rally Site)
- Physical Measurement (At Rally Site) : Physical measurement is conducted as per the laid down Physical standards.
- Medical Test
- Medical examination of candidates who qualify in Physical Fitness Test and Physical Measurement Test will be conducted by Army Medical Team at the Rally site as per Army Medical standards and policy in vogue on the subject issue.
- Unfit candidates will be referred to MH for specialist review. Candidates to report to designated Military Hospital within 5 days from referral and review medical exam to be completed by Military Hospital within 14 days as per policy.
- The recruitment medical officer and the specialist doctors of Armed Forces are the final authorities on declaring a candidate’s fir or unfit during initial med examination, review medical examination and med examination prior to enrolment. The candidates shall be governed by Army standards which may be at variance from civil standards. There is no provision for representation or appeal or re-review after the review medical examination.
Frequently Asked Questions
AGNIPATH Scheme in the Indian Armed Forces is a scheme wherein selected candidates will be enrolled as Agniveer for four years period. On completion of the four-year period, Agniveer will go to the society as a disciplined, dynamic, motivated, and skilled workforce for employment in other sectors to pursue their career in the job of their choice.
Based on organisational requirements and policies promulgated by the Armed Forces, 100% of the Agniveer after completing their engagement period, will be offered an opportunity to apply for enrolment in the permanent cadre. Of these 25% of Agniveer will be selected to be enrolled in the Armed Forces as a regular cadre.
Advantages of Agnipath scheme
This proposal envisages providing an opportunity to the youth to serve in the military for a short duration.
It will also lead to a much more youthful and technically adept war fighting force by ensuring a fine balance between youthful and experienced personnel in the Armed Forces.
The broad objectives of the Scheme are:
- To enhance the youthful profile of the Armed Forces so that they are at their fighting best at all times with increased risk-taking ability.
- To attract young talent from the society to effectively exploit, adopt and use emerging modern technologies with enhanced technical thresholds of intake while leveraging Technical Institutions of the country.
- To provide an opportunity to the youth who may be keen to serve the Nation in uniform albeit for a short period of time.
- To imbibe The Armed Forces ethos, courage, camaraderie, commitment, and teamwork in the youth.
- To provide abilities and qualities such as discipline, dynamism, motivation, and work skills so that the youth remain an asset.
The scheme would be a win-win situation for the Armed Forces, Nation, individuals, and the society at large.
Nation
- National Integration is based on unity in diversity with equal opportunity for youth including women from all regions.
- Nation Building through empowered, disciplined & skilled youth with military ethos in civil society.
Armed Forces
- Improved battle preparedness through transformative evolution with energetic, fitter, diverse, more trainable, and resilient youth suited to the changing dynamics,
- Selection of the Best with a rigorous and transparent selection process.
- Youthful Profile by the optimal balance of youth & experience.
- Harness benefits of SKILL INDIA by induction from Tech Institutes.
Individuals
- Opportunity for Youth to fulfill their dream of joining the Armed Forces and serving the Nation.
- Imbibe military discipline, motivation, skill, and physical fitness.
- Smooth integration into society with skill sets, certification, and diplomas/ higher education/credits.
- A good financial package makes him more stable than his civilian counterparts.
- Confident & better citizens by military training, team building, ethos & camaraderie forged over the years.
- Resume so unique that an Agniveer will stand out in the crowd.
There would be no impact of the implementation of the scheme on the operations preparedness of the Armed Forces. By having a younger profile which is more fighting fit with less encumbrances, it is expected that the risk-taking capability of these personnel would be higher.
With the infusion of technology and revamping of the training programmes, the Armed Forces would ensure that the personnel inducted under the scheme have the same skill sets which are required to meet the operational challenges.
Since the training standards are clearly defined and monitored by the highest authorities in the Armed Forces, it would be ensured that the Agniveers meet the highest professional standards.
Candidates between 17.5 to 21 years of age meeting other educational, physical and medical criteria would largely be enrolled as Agniveers.
The Scheme also aims to harness the “Skill India” initiative by enrolling candidates qualified in ITI/Diploma holders in future with the necessary skills for certain technical trades.
Based on organisational requirement and policies promulgated by the Armed Forces, 100% of the Agniveers after completing their engagement period, will be offered an opportunity to apply for enrolment in the permanent cadre.
These applications will be considered by a centralised transparent rigorous screening system which would be based on merit and demonstrated performance during service. 25% of the Agniveers would be selected for enrolment in the permanent Cadre as per the existing Terms and Conditions.
Selection of Agniveers for further enrolment into the Armed Forces will be the exclusive jurisdiction of the Government through laid down policies.
A careful analysis of the methodology of induction, retention, and release of Armed Forces personnel in various developed countries was carried out to adopt the best practices being followed in these countries. The analysis revealed the following:
- Primarily Volunteer Model. All countries including those who have conscription. have a volunteer Armed Forces once the mandatory time stipulation is over.
- Enrolment Procedures. Majority of the countries follow multiple enrolments models at various stages of military career enabling soldiers to voluntarily continue or exit service.
- Retention. All countries after the initial compulsory service period, retain soldiers based on their choice and a meritorious selection process.
- Training. All countries have a shorter initial training period. Specialised training is imparted once the soldier is selected for service for a longer duration.
- Incentivisation of Exit. These incentives vary from country to country but generally are in the following fields:
- Relaxation/Incentives to pursue higher education.
- Financial package on exit
Credits in education qualifications for type and duration of service rendered. - Advantage for recruitment in the permanent cadre.
- Some assurance of job on exit.
- The Agnipath scheme aims to follow the same model and similar incentives as have been given in the developed countries.
The traditional culture of units have been built over the years and have a strong foundation which cannot be diluted easily. To retain the Regimental lzzat depends on strong leadership of the officers and other senior supervisors in the units.
Further, since the scheme envisages selecting the best of the Agniveers and only those who proved their mettle, the cohesiveness of the unit would be ensured by these personnel. Further, these aspects would be focussed upon and accentuated by training received once the Agniveer reaches the unit.
Youth today eat better, run faster and longer, are more adept to technology and adept more easily to change. The aim to exploit the talent of the present-day generation in our training patterns while simultaneously utilizing technology such as simulators to ensure an effective training programme.
Since the basic qualification and qualities available with the youth have improved over the years, it gives us an opportunity to restructure the training pattern with more time being available for both physical and technical training.
It also gives us an opportunity to review our present training pattern to make them contemporary, technology based, and tailor made for the requirements of the Armed Forces.
It is envisaged that in future women will be joining the Armed Forces under the Agniveer scheme.
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