Insight Bureau: The Government of India on Tuesday unveiled the “Agnipath” scheme which aims to transform the armed forces.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with Chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force today announced a significant reform on how soldiers across the three services will be recruited under the Agnipath scheme.
Recruitment of soldiers across the World is done in two broad categories-voluntary and conscription-based recruitment.
While, Russia has a system of conscription-based service for a period of 12 months, Israel for 30 and 22 months, South Korea for 21, 24 and 25 months, and Brazil for 12 months.
Similarly, there are certain voluntary or conscription models in countries like China and USA, where the service period ranges from 2 to 8 years.
There are certain countries like China and USA, where the service period under this model ranges from two to eight years
Details about Agnipath Scheme
➡️Soldiers recruited under the scheme will be called Agniveers.
➡️The ‘Agniveers’ will be given a good pay package and retirement package after a service of 4 years.
➡️About 45,000 people between the age of 17.5 years and 21 years will be inducted into the services for a four-year.
➡️The recruitments will begin within the next 90 days.
➡️First batch will be ready by July 2023.
➡️After four years, upto 25% of the Agniveers will be retained in the regular cadre based on merit. They will then serve for a full term of another 15 years.
➡️Corpus of Rs 10.04 lakhs plus accrued interest exempted from Income Tax, after four years.
Terms and Conditions for Agniveer Scheme:
➡️Open to men and women
➡️Eligible age – 17.5 to 21 years
➡️Educational qualification – 10th/12th pass (as per terms and conditions issued by the armed forces)
➡️Candidates to undergo a fitness test at an army recruitment camp.
Seva Nidhi Package for Agniveer:
Agniveers will be given an attractive customised monthly package along with Risk and Hardship allowances.
➡️The monthly allowance will be Rs 30,000 in the first year which will successively increase to go up to Rs 40,000 in the fourth year of service.
➡️Out of this, 30% (about Rs 9,000), the Agniveer will contribute to his/her own package.
➡️The Government is going to put another Rs 9,000 towards this which works out to Rs 18,000.
➡️There will be EPF and PPF provisions and with all this it will work out somewhere around Rs 4.76 lakh in the first year.
➡️They will get about Rs 40,000 in their fourth year which works out at about Rs 6.92 lakh.
➡️On completion of four years of service, they will get approximately Rs 11.7 lakh including contribution and interest as Seva Nidhi Package.
Death Compensation
➡️Non-contributory life insurance cover of Rs 48 lakhs.
➡️Additional Ex Gratia of Rs 44 lakhs for death attributable to service.