The government unveiled its new Agnipath scheme for recruiting soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers into the three services of the armed forces on 14th June, 2022.Under the new scheme, around 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers will be recruited annually and most will leave the service in just four years. Of the total annual recruits, only 25 per cent will be allowed to continue for another 15 years under permanent commission.

Format of the Scheme :

Aspirants between the ages of 17.5 years and 21 years will be eligible to apply. The scheme is only applicable to personnel below officer ranks. Recruitment will be done twice a year through rallies.The recruitment will be done on “all India, all class” recruitment to the services (from any caste, region, class or religious background). Currently, recruitment is based on ‘regiment system’ based on region and caste bases. There will be a training period of 6 months and deployment for three and a half years. Recruits will get starting salary of Rs 30,000, along with additional benefits which will go up to Rs 40,000 by the end of the four-year service.During this period, 30 per cent of their salary will be set aside under a Seva Nidhi programme, and the government will contribute an equal amount every month, and it will also accrue interest. At the end of the four-year period, each soldier will get Rs 11.71 lakh as a lump sum amount, which will be tax-free. For 25% of soldiers, who are re-selected, the initial four-year period will not be considered for retirement benefits.

Benefits :

• Make the armed forces much leaner and younger: For India’s over 13-lakh strong armed forces, the current average age profile is 32 years. It is envisaged it will come down by about 4-5 years by implementation of this scheme
• Reduce the defence pension bill: The government has either allocated or paid more than Rs. 3.3 lakh crore in defence pension since 2020.As per Army calculations, the savings for the government in this ‘Tour of Duty model’ of recruitment from just one sepoy would be around 11.5 cr (the army initially proposed a 3-year service model).
• Create “future-ready” soldiers: A youthful armed forces will allow them to be easily trained for new technologies.
• Increased employment opportunities and higher skilled workforce: Apart from job opportunities in the army, recruits because of the skills and experience acquired during the four-year service such soldiers will get employment in various fields.The central government will likely give preference to Agniveers in regular employment after their four years stint.

Concerns regarding the scheme:

• Present benefits and security of jobs will be lost: Recruits will not get permanent jobs or promised pension and health benefits even after retirement.
• Doubt about training: 6 months of short training may not be enough to trust them with the same kind of tasks that current troops can be trusted with.
• Erosion of loyalty: “All India, all class” recruitment to the services may lead to the erosion of the loyalty that a soldier has for his regiment.

The Agnipath Scheme will be the only route for recruitment into the military. Personnel recruited under this system are to be called Agniveers , which will be a new military rank. The introduction of the scheme has been criticised for lack of consultation and public debate. The Communist Party of India stated that it strongly disapproved the ‘Agnipath’ scheme that does disservice to India’s national interests. Professional armed forces cannot be raised by recruiting ‘soldiers on contract’ for a period of four years. This scheme, to save pension money, severely compromises the quality and efficiency of our professional armed forces. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav called the scheme, “negligent” and potentially “fatal” for the country’s future. Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) chief said that the people returning after four years of service would cause gang wars in the country. The scheme is scheduled to be implemented from September 2022.This scheme will bypass many things including long tenures, pension and other benefits which were there in old system. Opposition parties in India have criticized and expressed concerns about the consequences of the new scheme. They have asked the scheme to be put on hold and that the scheme be discussed in the Parliament.On 16 June 2022, violent protests erupted in several states in India where the army aspirants angry with the new scheme called for its rollback and damaged public property. By 17 June, 12 trains were set on fire, and the movement of 300 trains were affected. 214 trains were cancelled, 11 trains were diverted and 90 were terminated short of their destination. On 18 June, protesters in Bihar called a strike against the scheme. They clashed with the police and set fire on several vehicles since morning in Bihar. Train services were stopped in Bihar till 8 PM, on 18 June. They will be stopped again from 4AM onwards on 19 June. More than 350 trains were cancelled across India as the violence continued in several states. In Kerala a large protest march was held in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, against the scheme. The protesters said their strikes would continue till the Centre rolls back its decision and ensured justice.

Sources: The Indian Express and Wikipedia