Prior to this, the Home Ministry had stated that Agniveers who were not integrated into the armed forces would be given priority for the 10% of openings in the Central paramilitary forces and Assam Rifles.
On Thursday, the federal government modified the upper age restriction rules and added a 10% reserve for ex-Agniveers in Border Security Force (BSF) openings, depending on whether they are from the initial batch or later batches.
Candidates from the first batch have had their upper age restriction lowered by up to five years, while candidates from later batches have had their upper age limit lowered by three years for these positions. 10% of the openings were designated as being allocated for former Agnives.
Prior to this, the Home Ministry had said that Agniveers who were not integrated into the armed forces would be given priority for 10% of the open positions in the Central Paramilitary Forces and Assam Rifles.
The age range for recruitment into CAPFs is 18 to 23 years old, although anybody who has signed up as an Agniveer between the ages of 17 and 22 can be hired into the CAPFs up to the age of 26. The ruling is significant because it encourages youth to choose a brief military career over a longer-term. By this, both forces will have about 73,000 openings.
Nevertheless, the enhanced five-year upper age limit relaxation would still allow those who join the armed services as part of the first batch of Agniveers at 23 years old, the highest age for enrolling under Agnipath, with a year to seek employment after completing the four-year term, should look for employment with the Assam Rifles and CAPFs.
According to an MHA official announcement, the first batch of Agniveers is eligible for a 10% employment quota in the CAPFs and Assam Rifles up till the age of 28. The Home Ministry’s decision to integrate Agniveers into CAPFs is noteworthy because it encourages young people to choose a brief military career by providing them with a long-term, follow-up career in the Central paramilitary forces and Assam Rifles.
Moreover, it helps the CAPFs and Assam Rifles fill the approximately 73,000 open positions that they now have between them, which benefits both organizations equally. The change will help the CAPFs by allowing them to hire employees who are already trained at the pre-recruitment stage, saving them the customary time and training expenses before the new recruits can start performing fieldwork.
Agnipath Plan
The Agnipath initiative, which will replace the military’s ten-year-old method of recruiting, was announced by India on June 14, 2022. It would reduce the age profile of the armed forces, assure a fitter military, and produce a technically proficient warfighting force capable of addressing future challenges.
The Agnipath project only tries to hire troops for a four-year term, with a provision to maintain 25% of recruits in the regular cadre for 15 years after another round of screening.