Kolkata, Nov 4 (IANS) The first batch of Agniveers who were not retained after four years in service completed an 8-week certified Yoga Course conducted in accordance with the programme at INS Netaji Subhas, the Indian Navy’s base in Kolkata, on Wednesday.
“The programme focused on promoting physical fitness, mental well-being, discipline and resilience. Certificates were awarded to the participants upon successful completion,” the Navy said.
This happened barely a few hours before the Union Cabinet approved the extension of Agniveers by two years.
While the decision to continue in service will rest entirely with the individual, officials believe that a large number of them will do so.
“Taking a significant decision today, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Shri Narendra Modi has approved a two-year ‘Second Tour of Duty’ for Agniveers under Agnipath. I sincerely thank PM Modi for taking the decision of an additional 2-year ‘Second Tour of Duty’ for Agniveers under the Agnipath scheme. This would also provide enrollment of all willing Agniveers as regular soldiers after the tenure of 4/6 years, who meet the selection criteria,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh posted on X.
“This decision is a continuation of long-term structural reforms of our defence forces, aimed at creating a younger, fitter, technologically equipped and future-ready military. It is not merely a recruitment policy; it is a way forward to prepare India’s military for the changing character of warfare,” he added.
Over 18,300 Agniveers were to exit the armed forces over the next three months after completing their four-year term.
Under the Agnipath scheme, soldiers are recruited for a four-year term, with a provision to retain only 25% of them in regular service for another 15 years.
Before they are released, the soldiers, sailors and air warriors have been undergoing the yoga course and medical evaluations. The 18,300 personnel, who were to be released this year, account for three-fourths of the 24,400 recruits inducted into the Army, Air Force and Navy in the first round of recruitment.
The first batch comprised around 19,000 Agniveers in the Army, 2,850 in the IAF and 2,550 in the Navy, according to official data. However, all three services have expressed satisfaction with the performance of Agniveers across roles and agreed to their retention.
Officials had earlier said the scheme could be tweaked in the future to retain more Agniveers with specialised skills. The Army currently has around 270,000 Agniveers, the IAF around 27,000 and the Navy roughly 21,000, the officials said.
The government had introduced the Agnipath model in 2022 in a marked departure from the military’s decades-old recruitment system. The idea was to maintain a younger and fitter fighting force.
–IANS
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