NEW DELHI: All Agniveers will be eligible for enrolment as regular soldiers after completing an additional two-year tenure, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday, provided they are willing and meet the selection criteria.
Singh was speaking during an interaction with air warriors at West Bengal's Bagdogra Air Force station, three days after the government announced that Agniveers set to exit the military at the end of their four-year tenure will be given an additional two-year extension, followed by permanent recruitment subject to eligibility.
He called the decision a "significant Diwali gift for Agniveers" and reiterated the government's commitment to the welfare of defence personnel and their families, saying it gives Agniveers another opportunity to serve the nation.
Under the Agnipath scheme, launched in June 2022, soldiers were recruited for a four-year term with a provision to retain only 25 per cent of them in regular service.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen N S Raja Subramani had announced the changes to the scheme on Wednesday, just over three weeks before around 18,300 Agniveers were due to exit the armed forces on completing their four-year tenure.
Also Read: Agnipath scheme revised, 75% of Agniveers to get additional two-year engagement
The decision to grant the additional two-year extension and subsequent permanent recruitment was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Over 3,00,000 soldiers recruited under the Agnipath scheme are currently serving in the military.
Gen Subramani said the decision would open a "pathway" for all Agniveers, ensuring almost all of them are eventually absorbed into the defence forces. Defence officials had said on Friday that all serving Agniveers will be absorbed as regular soldiers after six years of service, provided they are willing to continue, physically fit and disciplined -- and that the Agnipath scheme itself has not been rolled back.
The Agnipath scheme was introduced to lower the age profile of the three services, recruiting youths between 17.5 and 21 years of age for an initial four-year term. Opposition parties, including the Congress, had repeatedly targeted the government over the scheme, questioning what would happen to the 75 per cent of Agniveers not retained after their four-year tenure.
(With Inputs from PTI)