New Delhi: The Indian Armed Forces are considering a proposal to retain a significantly larger percentage of Agniveers after the completion of their four-year tenure under the Agnipath recruitment scheme. While the existing policy allows for the retention of only 25 per cent of Agniveers across the Army, Navy and Indian Air Force, the services are reportedly seeking a revision to strengthen their pool of trained personnel.
The first batches of Agniveers, who began their training in early 2023, are expected to complete their four-year service later this year. As per the current framework, all Agniveers will initially be released from service. Those who volunteer for continued military service will then be considered for enrolment as regular soldiers based on merit, with only the approved percentage being retained.
According to sources, the Indian Navy is likely to seek permission to retain nearly 75 per cent of its Agniveers, while both the Army and the IAF may propose increasing the retention rate to around 50 per cent. At present, however, the officially approved retention level remains unchanged at 25 per cent for each service.
The proposal stems from the growing need to preserve a larger pool of experienced personnel who have undergone rigorous military training, participated in operational deployments and become proficient in handling advanced weapons systems and emerging technologies during their four years of service.
The matter is expected to be discussed further between the three services and the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), which will examine the feasibility of revising the existing retention policy. A similar proposal had reportedly been submitted earlier but was returned for re-evaluation.
Sources also indicated that even if the overall retention percentage is not increased, the Armed Forces may adopt a flexible deployment model. Under such an arrangement, specialised units could induct a higher proportion of retained Agniveers with greater operational experience, while conventional units may continue to include a larger number of Agniveers serving their initial four-year tenure.
One example cited is the Army’s newly raised Bhairav battalions, which could eventually have a higher proportion of retained soldiers than regular infantry battalions. This approach would allow specialised formations to benefit from experienced personnel without altering the overall retention ceiling.
Training under the Agnipath scheme continues across all three services. During the last training cycle, around 70,000 Agniveers were undergoing training in the Army alone across various regimental centres. In the upcoming training year, the Army is expected to release approximately 90,000 vacancies to expand Agniveer recruitment and address a reported shortfall of nearly 1.8 lakh personnel over the next two years.
The government has also introduced several welfare measures for Agniveers since the scheme’s launch. Multiple MoUs have been signed with banks to provide financial benefits, while leave and several service allowances have been kept at par with those available to regular soldiers.
