Armed forces to offer two-year service extension for first batch of Agniveers

Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani will soon announce a two-year service extension for Agniveers whose four-year term is coming to an end. This move means that over 18,300 soldiers from the first batch who were set to leave the armed forces by December 31 can now choose to stay on for two extra years.

Choice And Timing

Officials stated that the decision to take up this service extension will rest entirely with each individual soldier. The plan arrives just weeks before the army, air force, and navy were scheduled to begin releasing 75 percent of the first batch in phases starting in mid-November.

Scale And Background

The initial recruitment drive inducted 24,400 personnel into the three services, consisting of roughly 19,000 in the army, 2,850 in the Indian Air Force, and 2,550 in the navy. The Agnipath model was originally introduced in June 2022 by the government to keep the military young and combat-ready, replacing the decades-old recruitment system.

Context

The Agnipath scheme has been a major political topic since its inception because it limits short-term service for personnel below officer rank and provides fewer service benefits compared to older models. However, the three services have expressed satisfaction with the work done by Agniveers across various roles, leading to discussions about keeping soldiers with specialized skills for longer periods.