Bhupender Yadav writes: A plan for Agniveers

To that end, one of the purposes of the Agnipath Yojana is to lower the median age of our personnel. The need for it was felt after the 1962 war with China. Decades later, the Kargil Review Committee also highlighted the same. The issue, however, remained unaddressed until a reform-oriented and reform-committed government assumed office.

In the Indian Army today, only 19 per cent of the personnel are below 25 years of age and a whopping 19 per cent are in the age group of 36-40. Since both China and Pakistan have mountainous terrain, units with a lower age profile will perform better in such areas.

The scheme aims to enrol Agniveers, between the ages of 17.5 years and 23 years, for four years. After the completion of these four years, 25 per cent of them will be retained or re-enlisted in the regular cadre while the remaining 75 per cent will be demobilised with an exit package of nearly Rs 12 lakh.

It is agonising to notice that the Opposition wants to spread misinformation about a scheme aimed at increasing India’s defence preparedness. In the backdrop of this concerted effort to oppose for the sake of opposing, it is important to clear the air.

On June 14, when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the scheme, he added that a lot of announcements with regards to the Agnipath Yojana would follow in the days ahead. But the Opposition fuelled protests.

Meanwhile, the Centre and many BJP-ruled states have announced schemes that will address the concerns of our youth aspiring to join the forces. The government will also help the disbanded Agniveers to start the next phase with bank loans, which will be extended to them on priority. A proposal to reserve 10 per cent of the job vacancies in the Union Ministry of Defence for Agniveers meeting the eligibility criterion has also been approved. This reservation will be implemented in the Indian Coast Guard, defence civilian posts and all 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings. This is in addition to the existing reservation for ex-servicemen. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also announced schemes to ensure that the Agniveers get opportunities to remain in the nation’s service beyond the four years they serve under the Agnipath Scheme. It has announced a 10 per cent reservation as well as an upper age limit relaxation for Agniveers for recruitment in the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles. The upper age limit for the CAPFs — Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and the National Security Guard (NSG), Special Protection Group (SPG) — will be 26 years. The first batch of Agniveers will avail relaxation of five years beyond the upper age limit of 23 – in other words, this limit would be 28 years for them. This has been done to factor in the two years lost by the youth when recruitments were stopped due to the Covid pandemic.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has announced six service avenues for a smooth transition of the Agniveers in various roles of the Merchant Navy after their stint in the Indian Navy.

The concerns being raised over young men being left jobless and education-less are also unfounded because the National Institute of Open Schooling has announced it will institute a special programme in consultation with defence authorities to enable Agniveers to further their education and obtain a Class XII pass certificate. Customised courses will be developed for this purpose. The Ministry of Education has decided to launch a three-year skill-based bachelor’s degree programme for serving defence personnel that will recognise the training they have received during stint time in the armed forces. Several states, including Assam, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, have announced preferential recruitment of Agniveers in their police forces.

An increasing number of corporate houses have expressed willingness to hire decommissioned Agniveers believing in the fact that the discipline and skills they gain in the four years will make them eminently employable.

The Agnipath Yojana will help us nurture disciplined and dedicated youth with the potential to serve the paramilitary forces, security establishments, private sector organisations or other civilian establishments with distinction. Many among them will, of course, go on to serve the country’s defence forces beyond their four years as Agniveers. The scheme will help in the skill enhancement of many of the youth in rural areas. After their four-year stint in the Army, the Agniveers would have a world of opportunities awaiting them.

Those serving in the defence forces are the real heroes of Maa Bharti. Leaving them in the lurch is out of the question. The Narendra Modi government remains committed to fulfilling its reform agenda for all sectors including defence. As the PM said, reforms may appear unpleasant temporarily but they are beneficial over time. The path of reforms takes us towards new targets. It is time to dispel myths and clear rumours and welcome the new dawn in the country’s defence forces.

Yadav is Union Cabinet Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change; and Labour & Employment. He is the co-author of The Rise of the BJP