Agnipath Scheme Launched by Government

As a major push for employment generation in India the government of India launched Agnipath scheme.

The scheme was aimed at strengthening national security and also for providing an opportunity to the youth to serve in the armed forces.

It is a short term recruitment scheme for the Indian youth who wish to join the Armed Forces.
The entry would be done for a period of 4 years initially.
The enrollment under the scheme will be open for both men and women
Recruits hired under the scheme are called Agniveers.
Background
- “Agnipath” scheme, earlier named as “Tour of Duty“, launched in the presence of the chiefs of the three services.
- The new scheme announced after extensive deliberations on it over the last two years.

Recruitment will be carried out on an ‘All India All Class’ basis
Eligible age ranging from 17.5 to 21 years, with medical and physical fitness standards in accordance with existing norms.
The required educational qualification will be Class X-XII.

Once selected, the aspirants go through training for six months and then deployed for three and a half years

This 4 years they get a salary of Rs 30000, along with additional benefits which go upto Rs 40,000 by the end of the four year service
Seva Nidhi
- During this 4 years 30% of their salary is set aside under a Seva Nidhi Programme
- They will also get a Rs 48 lakh life insurance cover for the four years.
- At the end of the four-year period, each soldier will receive Rs 11.71 lakh as a lump sum amount saved under the Seva Nidhi Program, which will be tax-free.

Allowances
- Risk and Hardship, Ration, Dress, Travel allowances as applicable
Death Compensation
- Non Contributory life insurance cover of Rs 48 Lakhs
- Additional Ex Gratia of Rs 44 Lakhs for death attributable to service
- Pay for unserved portion upto four years including Seva Nidhi component
Disability Compensation
- Compensation based on Percentage disability laid down by medical authorities
- Rs 44/25/15 Lacs for 100%/75%/50%disability, respectively

After the completion of the four years of their service, ‘Agniveers’ offered a chance to apply for permanent enrollment in the military forces.
Up to 25 percent of ‘Agniveers’ from each batch included in the regular cadre of the Armed Forces.
Those who are re-selected, the initial four-year period will not be considered for retirement benefits.
Those who are apply for regular employment after four years, may get priority for jobs in other government departments

To slashing the salary and pension bills of the three services, which have been increasing rapidly.
1. The Defence budget of Rs 5,25,166 crore for 2022-23 included Rs1,19,696 crore for defence pensions
2. Revenue expenditure of Rs 2,33,000 crore allocated for salaries and maintenance of establishments

For Bringing down the age profile of the armed forces currently it was 32
Bringing up a sense of military discipline and instilling a feeling of nationalism among youth
To Resolve the issue of lack of manpower in the Indian Army.

For Government
- Reduce the defense pension bill, which has been a major concern for governments for many years.
- lead to availability of a higher-skilled workforce to the economy which will be helpful in productivity gain and overall GDP growth
- The money saved in pay and gratuity payouts can then be used for much-needed military modernization.
For Recruits
- The soldiers get a payout along with priority in recruitment to certain government jobs, including the central armed police forces.
- It will increase employment opportunities and because of the skills and experience acquired during the four-year service
- “The ‘SevaNidhi’ would aid the Agniveer to pursue his/her future dreams without any financial pressure

scheme can attract people, who do not want to join the army but are desperately looking for a job
Hiring people on short-term contracts is not much of a good idea because 75% of them will be unemployed after four years.
There Is A High Possibility Of Agniveers Losing Motivation In Work Due To Insecurities Of Being Jobless After Three Years.
No word about what are the priorities that offer for jobs in other government departments after 4 years
Also concerns that the forces will lose experienced soldier

In the first four years, the armed forces must assess how the Agnipath scheme is working out, and then make modifications if needed

Content Source: The Hindu