June 13th 2024.
The recent appointment of Agniveers under the Agnipath scheme has caused some concerns among the allies of the National Democratic Alliance. In response, the Centre has acknowledged the issues and has promised to make necessary changes in the short-term recruitment process for the Armed Forces. To address this matter, the BJP-led NDA government has formed a panel of secretaries from 10 different ministries to review the scheme and brainstorm ways to make it more appealing and lucrative for potential recruits.
This panel of secretaries is expected to provide recommendations on how to make the short-term recruitment program under the Agnipath scheme more attractive. The scheme has been a hot topic during the recent election campaign, with opposition parties vowing to abolish it if they were to come into power. The panel is scheduled to present their findings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his return from the G7 Summit in Italy. Sources say that a detailed presentation may be given to the Prime Minister on either June 17th or 18th.
The committee is likely to suggest certain changes in the recruitment process and propose additional monetary benefits for the Agniveers, who are currently selected for a four-year period. There are also reports that the Indian Army is conducting its own internal assessment of the scheme and will submit its report to the government soon. According to sources, the Army may recommend increasing the training period for Agniveer recruits and suggest retaining a higher percentage of them in the Armed Forces, possibly up to 60-70% as opposed to the current 25%.
The final decision on any changes to the Agnipath scheme will be made by the Prime Minister's Office after taking into consideration all the recommendations and feedback from various stakeholders. The review of this scheme was also included in the first 100-day agenda of the Modi government, indicating that necessary changes may be implemented in the near future.
The Agnipath scheme was initially introduced in June 2022 with the aim of reducing the pension bill for the Armed Forces and creating a more streamlined and efficient army. However, it faced strong opposition from many states, particularly Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan. It also became a major topic during the election campaign as many parties criticized the government for implementing a flawed and uncertain policy during a time of economic instability.
Prior to the formation of the government, allies of the BJP, such as JD and LJP, expressed their concerns and urged the government to review the appointment of Agniveers. Under the current scheme, young individuals are recruited into all three branches of the Armed Forces for a period of four years. Out of these recruits, only 25% are given the opportunity to continue for another 15 years under a permanent commission.
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