Cabinet approves two-year extension for Agniveers, opens fresh route to regular military service

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a two-year extension of service for Agniveers completing their initial four-year tenure under the Agnipath scheme, giving them another opportunity to join the regular armed forces.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General NS Raja Subramani announced the decision, saying the remaining 75% of Agniveers, who were initially scheduled to leave after four years, would be offered an additional two-year engagement period.

"In four years, we assessed them and received very positive feedback about their performance. Initially, only 25% were to be retained. Now, the remaining 75% Agniveers will get a two-year engagement period offer,” Subramani said at a media briefing.

He said Agniveers opting for the extended tenure would receive higher remuneration than their existing salaries. At the end of the additional two years, those willing to continue would be considered for enrolment in the armed forces, subject to objective selection criteria.

The decision comes weeks before the three services were scheduled to begin releasing 75% of Agniveers from their first batch in phases from mid-November. More than 18,300 personnel were expected to leave the armed forces by December 31 after completing their four-year tenure.

Under the original Agnipath scheme, introduced in June 2022, only 25% of recruits were eligible for retention in regular service for another 15 years, while the remaining 75% were required to exit after completing four years.

The first batch comprised around 19,000 Agniveers in the Army, 2,850 in the Indian Air Force and 2,550 in the Navy.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the decision, describing the additional two-year engagement period as a “Second Tour of Duty”.

The Agnipath scheme, introduced to recruit personnel below officer rank for a short-term tenure, has faced criticism over its four-year service period and the limited number of recruits eligible for permanent absorption.