Army Proposes 50% Increase in Permanent Intake of Agniveers to Address Shortage, Age Relaxation

The Indian Army has proposed to increase the permanent intake percentage of Agniveers per year, to address a shortage of personnel. At present, it stands at 25 percent per batch but sources said a proposal to raise it to 50 percent had been forwarded to the central government.

According to sources, in addition to this, age relaxation and an increase in the number of joinings were also suggested. “This suggestion has been put forward and is likely to be considered because it is the need of the hour. While a significant number of personnel retire each year, the rate of joinings has been irregular, particularly during the years affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. This step aims to fulfil required numbers,” said an officer familiar with the matter.

Previously, retirements and subsequent joinings per year helped bridge the gap. While retirements remain at approximately 60,000 personnel per year, joinings have been impacted.

With the introduction of the Agnipath scheme in 2022, the army inducted 40,000 Agniveers in two separate batches. After completing four years, the top 25 percent candidates will be granted permanent status. But this alone will not be sufficient.

While discussions regarding the proposal are ongoing, there are several rules and regulations that can be formulated and implemented for Agniveers undergoing training.

At present, the army faces numerous challenges during the training period of Agniveers. One such challenge is the decreasing number of candidates as some of them opt to leave midway as many secure jobs elsewhere. Although there are no existing regulations, suggestions have been made to get the candidates to reimburse expenses incurred during training as this will make only those serious about joining the army go in for training.

In some cases, an excessive number of medical leaves has also resulted in candidates being dismissed from training. “While the scheme will prove beneficial in the long run, there are certain challenges initially. These matters have been brought to the attention of high-ranking officials,” an officer said.

Sources said the army is experiencing a shortage of approximately 1.5 lakh personnel. If accepted, the proposed measures can help alleviate this issue.