The Agnipath Scheme for Recruiting Soldiers - GovtVacancy.Net

The Agnipath Scheme for Recruiting Soldiers

Context

• Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister, recently announced the "Agnipath” scheme for youth recruitment in the armed forces. It will be available for four years.
• In 2022, the recruitment process has projected a 46,000-strong intake.
• The scheme will see around 45,000 to 55,000 soldiers recruited each year, with most leaving the service within four years.
• This will be the sole form of recruitment for soldiers into the three defense services. The soldiers recruited under this scheme will be known as Agniveers.
• This scheme aims to attract young talents from society who are more in tune and skilled in current technological trends.

Mode for induction

• Registration: All three services can be enrolled through a centralised internet system, which will include special rallies and campus interviews at recognized technical institutes like the Industrial Training Institutes and the National Skills Qualifications Framework.
• Eligibility Criteria: The new system is only available for personnel below the rank of
• Employment:Recruitment is on an 'All India All Class" basis. The eligibility age ranges from 5 to 21 years . Medical and physical fitness standards will be in line with current norms.
• Qualification The Class I-XII educational qualification is required.
• Re-selection: For those who are re-selected the initial period of four years will not be taken into consideration for retirement benefits.
• Permanent Commission Each batch will have up to 25% of its members enrolled in regular cadre under permanent commission. They would also be required to serve a minimum of 15 years.
• Training After being selected, they will undergo training for six month before being deployed for three years.
• Starting Salary: During this time, they will receive a starting salary in the region of Rs 30,000 and additional benefits that will increase to Rs 40,000 at the end of their four-year service.
• An annual pacakage will be paid The "Agniveers", in addition to risk and hardship allowances, will receive an annual package of Rs4.76 million in the first year and Rs6.92 crore in the fourth.
• Contribution The recruits will be required to pay 30% of their monthly income to Seva Nidhi. A matching contribution from the government will also be made.
• A tax-free grant: They will be eligible for the "Seva Nidhi” package, which is exempted from Income Tax.
• After-retirement benefits The scheme will not provide any gratuity or pensionary benefits.
• Insurance: "Agniveers” will receive non-contributory coverage of Rs48 lakh during their services.
• Life insurance in case of death: In the event of death due to service, aside from more than Rs1 crore which will include "Seva Nidhi", the full amount for the unsold period will be paid.
• Disabilities: For any disability due to service, a provision up to Rs44 lakh has been made based on the amount of disability. This includes full pay for the unseen period and "Seva Nidhi" plus interest, as applicable.

Significance scheme

• Strengthen Security Architecture: This scheme is designed to strengthen national security as well as to offer youth the opportunity to join the Armed Forces.
• Regular employment After four years of service, which is based on the organisational requirements and existing policies of the Armed Forces, the "Agniveers", will be eligible to apply for permanent enrollment. They might be granted priority to certain jobs in other government departments.
• A lower age profile: This move is expected to reduce the average age of armed forces personnel to between 32 and 24-26 years, thereby creating "future ready" soldiers.
• Examples from around the world: Major militaries such as the U.S. and other countries have made reforms to improve the mass-versus-machine ratios. This is an important pillar of modern warfare.
• Budgetary Allocation: The Defence Ministry has been concerned about the growing pension bill of the Armed Forces. The defense budget for 2022-23 will be Rs 5.25 lakh crore. Revenue allocation is Rs2.33 crore crore. Capital allocation is at Rs1.52 lakh crore. Defence pensions total Rs1.19 lakh crore.
• Lower defense pension bill: This will result in a reduction in the size of the permanent forces for the more than 13-lakh strong armed force in the country. In turn, it will significantly reduce the defence pension bill which has been a major concern to governments for many years.
• All India, All Class Recruitment: This is particularly important for the Army where the regiments system has region- and caste-based bases. With time, this will all be removed to allow anyone from any caste or region to join existing regiments.

Harvesting dividends

• According to the government, the benefits of military service were huge for the nation, society, and youth.
• A brief tenure would allow for military training, inculcation and teamwork, enhancement of fitness and loyalty to the country.
• Other benefits include an increase in technical threshold and better utilisation period of recruit training. The scheme also provides a balance between youth and experienced.
• After four years of service, the Agniveers will be empowered with financial and skills resources and will have a unique resume which will greatly increase his/her value in civil societies.
• This will allow for a more skilled workforce, which will help in productivity gains and overall growth.
• The government will also assist soldiers who have left the service after four years.
• They will receive skills certificates as well as bridge courses. It will be a catalyst for creating
• The two-pronged approach would thus skill the country's youth, provide a younger armed forces force, and help the nation.

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