Agnipath: Air Force unveils details on eligibility, age limit, qualifications

The Indian Air Force on Sunday (June 19) released recruitment details of the Central government’s controversial Agnipath scheme, which laid out various aspects like eligibility criteria, age limit, educational qualifications, and more.

The IAF document stated that all Indians are eligible for the “new HR management scheme for Armed Forces”, as long as they are between 17.5 years and 21 years of age.

Follow: The Federal’s LIVE coverage of Agnipath scheme and the reactions

Certain medical eligibility conditions will have to be met before they will become eligible for recruitment. The recruits will be eligible for a monthly salary of ₹30,000 with fixed yearly increments, risk and hardship, dress and travel allowances and access to the military’s health services.

The ‘Agniveers’, as the recruits are named, will be eligible for 30 days of annual leave per year and sick leave as per medical advice. They will have to wear a distinctive insignia that should be worn on their uniforms during their training. They may be taken into the formal service after a four-year-period at the discretion of the government.

Also read: IAF releases details of Agnipath scheme; Congress holds Satyagrah protest

But they will not be released from service at their own request, except in exceptional cases, said the IAF.

The Agnipath scheme, announced by the Central government on Tuesday, is aimed at streamlining the 13-lakh strong armed forces in India and reduce the massive defence pension bill. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that “efforts are being made that the profile of the Armed Forces should be as youthful as the wider Indian population.”

“This will also lead to availability of a higher-skilled workforce to the economy which will be helpful in productivity gain and overall GDP growth,” Singh said.

However, the announcement has sparked protests across the country, which has continued for the fourth consecutive day. It has also spread to states like Punjab and Kerala.

Also read: How delay in armed forces recruitment has put lives of youths on hold

The protesting youths felt the four-year tenure under the scheme has been introduced to avoid paying retirement benefits. To defuse the situation, the Centre on June 18 announced several incentives including reserving 10 per cent vacancies in its paramilitary and the defence ministry for Agnipath retirees and said it will look into any grievance about the new military recruitment scheme “with an open mind.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also said it has decided to reserve 10 per cent vacancies for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles for Agniveers.

“The MHA also decides to give 3 years age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs & Assam Rifles,” the ministry tweeted Further, for the first batch of Agniveer, the age relaxation will be for five years beyond the prescribed upper age limit, it said. At present, jawans between the age of 18-23 years are recruited into the paramilitary forces.