Agnipath | Making a tactical withdrawal

The Union government has announced a major overhaul of the Agnipath military recruitment scheme, introducing a ‘Second Tour of Duty’ that opens the pathway for 100 per cent absorption of Agniveers as regular soldiers. Launched in June 2022, the original scheme, for personnel below officer rank, allowed youths between the ages 17.5 and 21 years to join the armed forces for a four-year tenure, after which 25 per cent of them would be retained for regular service based on merit, while the rest would exit with a severance package (Seva Nidhi Fund)and help for future employment. Agnipath was designed to lower the forces’ age profile, create a technologically savvy military and reduce a growing defence pension bill.

Under the revised framework, the top 25 per cent of each batch will continue to be absorbed, while the remaining 75 per cent will get a two-year extension instead of being discharged. They will also be eligible for regularisation after those extra two years, subject to prescribed criteria. On November 4, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General N.S. Raja Subramani announced the changes, weeks before the very first batch of 18,300 soldiers was scheduled to complete its initial four-year tenure. Experts think operational shortcomings, a creeping manpower shortage and the difficulty of helping find jobs for thousands of exiting Agniveers each year is behind the change. The government insists that Agnipath 2.0 is a structural modification that retains the original four-year entry model.

Over 300,000 Agniveers are currently serving or undergoing training across the three services, including over 250,000 in the Army, around 27,000 in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and approximately 21,000 in the Navy.

While some see the announcement as a retreat from a policy that became controversial for the planned non-retention of personnel, others view it as an acknowledgement of concerns emerging from within the armed forces. There is also speculation that the timing was influenced by the approaching assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand—states that contribute substantially to the military’s manpower.

EMPLOYMENT CHALLENGE

As 75 per cent of Agniveers from the first batch approached the end of their tenure, the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) activated an Ex-Agniveer Cell to coordinate their transition. Following consultations, an employment plan was worked out, beginning with the first batch of Navy personnel completing their tenure and exiting on November 21. The first outgoing batches of Agniveers with the IAF and the army were due to leave in December and January, respectively. A portal was created for Agniveers to register their credentials. The MHA had even directed the Central Armed Police Forces to earmark 50 per cent of general duty constable vacancies for Agniveers of the first batch. Various state governments offered reservations in their police forces. Selection letters were expected to be issued a month before completion of service, subject to medical fitness and a clean disciplinary record. Sources say the government tried to ensure that no exiting Agniveer was left unemployed or joined Jantar Mantar-like protests.

However, the government may subsequently have realised that absorbing large numbers of personnel into civilian and paramilitary jobs every year was not financially viable. Thus, in the reworked scheme, where all those who were about to be discharged would continue for another two years followed by permanent jobs in the military, the job promises in state/ paramilitary forces have been done away with. However, sources say many Agniveers who expected jobs in paramilitary and state forces after four years are upset at the new development.

CONCERNS OVER COMBAT-READINESS

Meanwhile, the CDS’s office was flagging a more pressing issue. Based on feedback from field units, the Agnipath model was raising concerns about the army’s ability to maintain experienced, combat-ready manpower. A commanding officer of a Rashtriya Rifles unit serving in Kashmir says that, since there was no certainty that they would stay on, units are reluctant to invest in specialised technical training for Agniveers. Commanders are also averse to assign them high-risk responsibilities, for limited death/ injury compensation for Agniveers does not provide adequate assurance to personnel undertaking such tasks.

Gen. Manoj Pande, who was the army chief when Agnipath was introduced, says that the army leadership always felt that 25 per cent retention was inadequate and could impact combat-readiness, and had asked the government for a higher intake. He stresses that combat experience—possible only if trained soldiers serve in a unit for long—was essential for the army, given its commitments along two active borders and counter-terrorism responsibilities. Indeed, according to an assessment, 700 out of every 1,000 personnel in a unit could be Agniveers within a decade. With a stream of soldiers exiting every year, experienced soldiers would form a lower proportion.

“I am glad the army’s concerns have been addressed. While maintaining the army’s young age profile is important, we must recognise the importance of combat experience in units. There has to be a balance between youth and experience,” Gen. Pande tells india today. He hopes that the new retention rules would be a permanent feature.

Agnipath 2.0 has raised another question: does extending the service tenure and eventual absorption of Agniveers defeat the original objective of creating a younger military? An officer points out that an Agniveer joining at 21 and entering regular service after six years would then need to serve for at least another 17 years to be eligible for pension, till the age of 44. One of the stated goals of Agnipath was to reduce a soldier’s average age from around 32 to 26 over six to 10 years. Under the earlier recruitment system, a soldier retires between 35 and 37 years of age after serving for 15-17 years.

Former CDS Gen. Anil Chauhan believes the original model could have maintained a young military while providing trained men to paramilitary forces. “Though I am not aware of the reasons behind the adoption of the new scheme, I feel the government should have stuck to the original model,” he says. “Warfare is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and military technologies, tactics and operational skills can become outdated rapidly. In such a dynamic environment, a younger and more agile military, backed by shorter service tenures and the availability of trained personnel for other security forces, makes strategic sense,” he adds.

FALLING UNIT STRENGTHS

The steady erosion of the army’s combat strength is worrying too. Following a two-year recruitment freeze during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Agnipath scheme in 2022 had an annual recruitment target of 45,000-50,000 personnel across the three services. The first batch comprised 46,000 recruits. However, the annual retirement of over 60,000 personnel continued unabated, widening the manpower deficit, which had reached an estimated 180,000 lakh following the recruitment freeze.

Military sources also pointed out that the IAF and navy, both technology-oriented services, had favoured shorter Agniveer tenures. Their concern was that investing heavily in specialised training for personnel who would leave after four years cannot be justified.

Lt Gen. Rakesh Sharma, former Adjutant General of the army, says the revised model would create multiple categories within the same unit—Agniveers recruited after four years, extended-tenure Agniveers and regular soldiers—making the working environment complex. “On the positive side, the system will allow the army to weed out indisciplined personnel at an early stage, unlike the earlier process, which was lengthy and often involved court martial proceedings.”

A former corps commander also points at probable psychological pressure facing Agniveers. An Agniveer who completes six years of service—drawing lower pay and receiving fewer leave benefits than regular soldiers—could still be uncertain about permanent retention since it depends on selection criteria. He also faces restrictions on marriage until regularisation. Families may hesitate to consider an extended-tenure Agniveer as a groom, given the possibility of his exit after two years. “Personal interactions with Agniveers suggest that all this uncertainty takes an emotional toll,” the officer says. He also questions the fairness of post-retirement benefits, particularly pension eligibility, as an Agniveer’s qualifying service for pension begins only after permanent absorption.

A military facing complex security challenges does not merely need youthful soldiers, but motivated ones. Agnipath 2.0 will hopefully help India fashion a future-ready force.