Agnipath Scheme (also spelled Agneepath Scheme) (Hindi: Agnīpath Yojanā, transl: Fire-Path Scheme) is a new scheme introduced by the Government of India on 14 June 2022, for recruitment of soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers into the three services of the armed forces.The Agnipath Scheme will be the only route for recruitment into the military. Personnel recruited under this system are to be called Agniveers (transl: Fire-Warriors), which will be a new military rank.The introduction of the scheme has been criticised for lack of consultation and public debate.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.



Contents

1 Background

2 Overview

3 Criticism

4 Protests

5 Response by the Government

6 References

7 External links

Background

Prior to the introduction of the Agnipath scheme, soldiers were recruited into the armed forces on a 15-year tenure with lifelong pension.From 2019, no recruitment in the armed forces was done for three years. The Indian Government cited COVID-19 pandemic in India for this. Meanwhile 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers continued to retire annually, leading to a manpower shortage that began affecting the operational capabilities of the armed forces.


Overview

The Agnipath scheme was approved by the Indian Government in June 2022 to be implemented from September 2022. The announcement was done on June 14, 2022. The scheme is for both male and female aspirants of age group 17.5 to 21 years. In the midst of widespread protests against the Agnipath scheme, the Central Government raised the upper limit from 21 to 23, but only for recruitment in the year 2022. The recruitment through this scheme is twice a year for the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force. The posts available are below the officer cadre. The Agnipath Scheme is the only route to serve in the military


The recruits named Agniveers serve for a tenure of four years that includes training for six months followed by 3.5 years deployment. After retirement from the service, they will have the opportunity to apply to continue in the armed forces and up to 25 percent of the Agniveers will be selected for the permanent cadre.Personnel who retire after 4 years of service will not be eligible for pension, but will receive a lump sum amount of approximately ₹11.71 lakh at the end of tenure. The Indian government plans to recruit 45,000 to 50,000 new personnel every year through this scheme. In September 2022, 46,000 youngsters were planned to be recruited through the scheme.


Criticism

The scheme will not include long tenures, pension and other benefits which were there in the old system. Individuals aspiring to join Armed Forces were disappointed with the rules of the new scheme. The main causes of concern were the short length of service, no pension provisions for those released early, and the 17.5 to 21-year age restriction because of which many of the current aspirants were rendered ineligible to serve in the Indian armed forces.


Before the introduction of the new scheme for recruitment, Indian government did not produce any white paper. The scheme was neither debated in the parliament nor in the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence. No information about the scheme was given to the public prior to its announcement.


Opposition parties in India have asked the scheme to be put on hold and that the scheme be discussed in the Parliament. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) 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.


Congress party called the scheme neither in the interest of the country nor its security, and has asked for a rollback of the scheme. Haryana leader of opposition, Bhupinder Singh Hooda stated "It has far-reaching consequences and these have not been fully considered while preparing this scheme. In the long run, the policy would have a detrimental impact on our national security," he alleged "It seems the government is compromising with the security of the country with the intention of saving money on salary, pension, gratuity and halving the strength of the armed forces."


The Hindu in its editorial asked the scheme to be put on hold and stated, "If a soldier’s job is now turned into a contractual employment, it might not motivate aspirants who hope for job security, pension and honour. The argument that defence should not be treated as an employment guarantee scheme is rhetorically impressive, but the fact is that from the manufacturing of arms to the employment of soldiers, the sector plays a critical role in the economy. For a country like India, where unemployment remains a major policy challenge, the concerns cannot be dismissed easily. The Government also faces the very credible charge that this is nothing more than a cost cutting plan."


Lieutenant general Raj Kadyan, former Vice Chief of the Army Staff, had already raised his opposition against the move when he was in service, saying this kind of scheme is fit for a low-risk organisation. "We are trying it out in the defence forces, where the risk is very high…. I only hope and pray there is no war. If there’s [going to be a] war, you don’t expect a man who is already looking beyond four years to be committed to the extent that he can lay down his life," he said.


Lieutenant general Vinod Bhatia, Paratrooper and former Director General Military Operations (DGMO), spoke to the media and also made his opposition to the move clear: “On ToD [Tour of Duty], pray & hope that Agneepath succeeds, for the sake of nation, armed forces and the Agniveers. The government will need to take the ownership and ensure it succeeds as the process is irreversible and high risk.” Later he told “I am a paratrooper, I take risks, but this is not a risk I would’ve taken; the Fauj (Army) ethos may change.” 


Major general (Retd) G. D. Bakshi, came down heavily against the proposal, stating that he was “flabbergasted by the Agniveer scheme”. “I thought initially it was a trial being done on a pilot basis. This is an across-the-board change to convert Indian armed forces to a short-tenure quasi-conscript force like the Chinese. For God Sake Please Don't do it,” he said. Appealing to the Centre not to destroy institutions, he continued: “Let us not destroy our institutions in a time of great threats from China & Pakistan. Just for saving money let us not destroy what we have. Armed forces need a mixture of youth and experience. Four year tenure forces could be risk averse. Learn from Russia (sic).” “Switching to a 4 year virtual tour of duty model overnight would be a highly disruptive change,” the vocal retired Army officer said.[27][24][28]


Brigadier (Retd) V. Mahalingam former Commander of a Mountain Brigade and former force Commander of the National Security Guard in said "It will degrade the Army’s ability to win wars. Unfortunately, the decision makers have not fought a war or know what it means to exercise command & control when the bullets are flying or when you have to assault a well prepared position."


Ex-Army Jawans too slammed the scheme saying "Don’t experiment with Army, what if they join gangsters after four years?". District President of the Ex-Servicemen Welfare Union in Faridkot Havildar (Retd.) Premjit Singh Brar said "This is a wrong move. No one will be interested in joining the Army on these terms and conditions. It is like raising a private army. If someone dies on the border, they say they will only give him fixed compensation and that his family will not get any pension or any benefit. Why should anyone be willing to die under these circumstances?".