Agnipath The plan, announced on Tuesday, wants to recruit soldiers army, Navy and Air Force on a short-term contract of four years. The central government says that the objective of this scheme is to reduce the average age of the personnel and reduce the pension expenditure.
However, several defense candidates, military veterans and opposition leaders have raised objections to the revised procedure. He says the new scheme could potentially affect the future of serving personnel, influencing the professionalism, ethos and fighting spirit of the military and possibly lead to the militarization of civil society.
Here are all the frequently asked questions, answered…
What exactly is Agneepath scheme?
The Agneepath scheme provides for the recruitment of all Army, Navy and IAF personnel (except officers) for a period of four years. To the youth recruited under the scheme “agniveer“, who will be in the age group of 17.5 to 21 years and will get a monthly salary of Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000.
The government has allowed people up to the age of 23 to apply for 2022.
After completion of four years, around 25% of Agniveers will be selected for regular cadre for a full term of next 15 years, while the remaining 75% will be dropped with an exit package called “Seva Nidhi”. The package will be of Rs 11.71 lakh and will include a skill certificate. But there will be no pension or gratuity.
What are the near term and long term goals of the government?
The government aims to recruit 46,000 soldiers (including sailors and airmen) on an “all-India, all-class” basis within 90 days. This would be around 3 per cent of the armed forces.
After recruitment, the performance of Agniveers will be tested before rejoining the Army after four years. In this way, the Army will test and test personnel for the supervisory rank, officials said.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh Said that the scheme will usher in a more youthful profile in the over 14 lakh strong armed forces, gradually bringing down the average age of soldiers from the existing 32 to 24-26. He said this would make the forces more modern, tech-savvy and equipped to meet the myriad challenges ahead.
Lt-Gen BS Raju said Agniveers would constitute nearly half of the 1.2 million strong army by 2030-2032 to achieve the optimum balance of youth and experience to fight future wars.
The Agneepath scheme will also be “progressively opened up” to women based on service needs.
According to officials, in the coming years, the recruitment of Agniveers in the armed forces will be almost three times the current recruitment.
But why are there apprehensions about the plan?
There are widespread concerns that the radical plan to recruit a large number of soldiers for only four years would affect the army’s professionalism, regimental ethos and fighting spirit. It is also widely feared that thousands of soldiers who have not been laid off in the year may be looking at an uncertain future.
Critics also argue that the plan would protect many firefighters from risk because most of them would be looking for other careers.
“This will lead to militarization of the society… It is not a good idea,” said former DGMO Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia (Retd) after the government unveiled the plan.
Several opposition leaders like Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav and AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal also hit out at the scheme, saying it could endanger the future of countless youths.
What do the protesters want?
Thousands of youths protesting in parts of Bihar, UP and Haryana are demanding immediate withdrawal of the scheme.
Opposition leaders have also raised their voices in support of the protests and are demanding the government to scrap the plan.
What has the government said?
With protests intensifying in the states, the government issued a detailed clarification by issuing a “myth versus fact” document to address the concerns of the protesters.
Here is how the government reacted to the various concerns raised by the candidates…
on short term
The government said that those aspiring to become entrepreneurs after their service as Agniveer will get financial packages and bank loan schemes. Those wishing to pursue further studies would be given a 12th standard equivalent certificate and a bridging course for further studies, and those seeking salaried jobs would be given priority in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and state police. It said that many avenues are being opened for them in other areas as well.
On changes in the regimental system
There were apprehensions that the ‘Agneepath’ plan would change the composition of many regiments that recruit youth from specific areas as well as castes such as Rajputs, Jats and Sikhs.
What will Agniveer do after 4 years of Agneepath scheme? Well, a lot! Have a look… #BharatKeAgniveer https://t.co/L8OVsuvzAH
— MyGovIndia (@mygovindia) 1655386276000
The government clarified that no changes are being made to the regimental system. “In fact, it will be further intensified as the best among ‘Agnivars’ will be selected, which will further boost the solidarity of the units,” said an official.
On being a ‘threat’ to the society of Agniveers
The government said that the youth who wear the uniform for four years will remain committed to the country for the rest of their lives. It said thousands still retire from the armed forces but there are no instances of them becoming anti-national elements.
On a plan to harm the effectiveness of the forces
The government dismissed apprehensions that the new scheme would affect the effectiveness of the armed forces, saying that the number of Agniveers to be recruited in the first year would be only 3 per cent of the total strength.
In addition, the performance of the Agniveers will be tested before they rejoin the Army after four years. Therefore, the army will be tested and personnel will be tested for the supervisory rank.
The government also pointed out that such a short-term recruitment system exists in most of the countries and hence has already been tested and considered a best practice for a young and agile army.
Separately, officials said that most armies around the world depend on their youth and the new plan will bring only the right mix of “50 percent youth and 50 percent experience” in the supervisory ranks in the long run.
How have other countries adopted this model?
Several variations of the Agneepath scheme, or “Tour of Duty” model, exist in other countries.
The government said that while preparing the recruitment structure, models of countries like Israel, US, China, France, Russia, UK and Germany were studied. The facilities were then modified and adapted as per the needs and requirements of the Indian Armed Forces.
In the US, most employees enroll for four years, followed by a four-year reserve duty period. Soldiers can also opt for full service and are eligible for pension and benefits after serving for 20 years.
In China, recruitment is carried out on a recruiting model (compulsory enrollment), involving 4.5 million soldiers for training each year. Conscriptions must serve for two years.
Israel also follows a recruitment system.
Russia follows a hybrid model of recruitment and contractual service. Conscripts are given one year of training followed by one year of service and then placed in reserve. Recruitment is done from these posts. Soldiers are given preferential admission in colleges and have the option of taking education in military institutions.
France recruits troops on a contract basis under several models – from one-year renewable contracts to five-year contracts.
(with inputs from agencies)