Interview: Recruitment into armed forces only through Agnipath, says Defence Secretary

Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar, in an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat's Gautam Debroy, said that from now on, the recruitment in the armed forces will be based on the "short term" scheme.

New Delhi: At a time when the Centre's Agnipath scheme sparked widespread protest in India, Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar told ETV Bharat in an exclusive interview that recruitment into the armed forces would, henceforth, be through the short-term scheme.

The recruitment process into the armed forces under the Agnipath scheme has already started, he said. "The registration for Indian Air Force is in process and for Indian Army and Indian Navy, will start from July 1. In the first phase, a total of 46,000 Agniveers will be recruited with 40,000 for the Indian Army and 3,000 each for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. This intake will gradually increase over the next few years," Dr Kumar said.

He also said that Agnipath is a "revolutionary scheme" aimed at improving the combat potential and operational effectiveness of the Indian Armed Forces by making them more youthful and technically adaptable. "The scheme also aims at nation-building with well-trained, motivated and skilled youth leaving the armed forces, to be readily available for overall national growth," Dr Kumar said.

Asked whether rolling out of Agnipath scheme will minimise the financial burden of India's defence sector, Dr Kumar said that there is no link between the financial aspect and the scheme. "Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh also made it clear that there are no financial constraints with respect to the modernisation of armed forces and welfare of troops," he said.

As there is no pension scheme for Agniveers after completing their four years course, it was reported that the scheme was rolled out to slash the salary and pension bills of the three services, which have been increasing rapidly. Asked about the future prospects of the Agniveers, the Defence Secretary clarified that after leaving the armed forces, the Agniveers will have various opportunities to pursue different careers.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has already announced a 10 per cent reservation for ex-Agniveers in CAPFs and Assam Rifles. The Ministry has also announced 10 per cent reservation in Indian Coast Guard, Defence Civilian posts and Defence PSUs for Agniveers post-retirement from the armed forces. Several state governments have already announced such measures.

More such incentives and decisions are likely to be announced by other ministries and stakeholders in future, Dr Kumar said. "They (Agniveers) can pursue their own startup, business, a second career with Seva Nidhi Package and the local guarantee by the banks. Industry and various other ministries have also pitched in measures of support for ex-Agniveers," the Defence Secretary said.

Dr Kumar said that there will be no adverse impact on the operational capabilities of the Armed forces due to the Agnipath scheme. "On the contrary, with a more youthful army, their effectiveness will be further enhanced. The same has been amply emphasised by all three service chiefs," Dr Kumar said. He said that Agniveers will exit with higher educational qualifications when compared to the qualification with which they entered the armed forces.

"Class X passed Agniveers will be equivalent to class XII thereby opening doors for a host of government jobs. Similarly, class XII passed Agniveers would get 50 per cent credit for graduation and can easily complete their graduation," he said. With excellent training and work experience in the armed forces, discipline and soft skills that experience in the armed forces provides, they will stand out compared to other non-Agniveer candidates of the same qualification but with no such exposure, Dr Kumar said.