'Excited to welcome former Agniveers': Central forces to implement 10% reservation for ex-Agniveers

Amid raging debate over the Agnipath scheme, the central forces have announced that they will implement a 10 per cent reservation for former Agniveers. The chiefs of central forces such as BSF, CRPF, CISF, and SSB said that former Agniveers will get relaxation in age and that there will also be no Physical Efficiency Test for them.

"In the future, all recruitment for the constable post in the Railway Protection Force will have a 10% reservation for ex-agencies. RPF is very excited to welcome former Agniveers. It will give new strength and energy and boost the morale of the force," RPF Director-General Manoj Yadava said on Thursday. 

The Agniveers will also get relaxation in age, Yadava said. The first batch will get five years of relaxation while it will be three years afterwards. "There will also be no Physical Efficiency Test for them."

CISF Director-General Neena Singh said her force has also made all preparations for reservation for former Agniveers. "10% of vacancies in constables will be reserved for ex-agencies. Additionally, they will be given relaxation in the Physical Efficiency Test," she stated. 

Similarly, the BSF has also announced that it is getting ready to implement the promised quota. "We are getting ready, soldiers; nothing can be better than that. All forces will benefit from it. Ex-Agniveers will get a 10% reservation in the recruitment," BSF Director General Nitin Agrawal said.

"They (Agniveers) will get 10% reservation in the recruitment, and also age relaxation. For the first batch, the age relaxation is of five years while for subsequent batches, the age relaxation is of three years," the BSF DG said. 

Sashastra Seema Bal DG Daljit Singh Chaudhary said the SSB has amended the recruitment rules accordingly. "The first batch will be given an age relaxation of five years."

CRPF DG Anish Dayal Singh said that all arrangements have been made to recruit ex-Agniveers and the recruitment rules have been amended accordingly. "A reservation of ten percent has been made for former Agniveers. This is a welcome step for the force to recruit ex-Agniveers as they are Army-trained and have already served in the three services. They will bring dedication and discipline from day one."

In June 2022, the Centre rolled out the ambitious Agnipath scheme for the recruitment of youths aged between 17 and a half and 21 in the armed forces, largely for a four-year term. After the completion of the four-year tenure, 25 per cent of the recruits from each batch will be offered regular service, while 75 per cent will return to civilian life.

The new scheme triggered massive protests across the country. At that time, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced that 10 per cent of vacancies in central paramilitary forces and Assam Rifles shall be reserved for 75 per cent of Agniveers. The MHA also announced that the upper age limit was also relaxed for the first batch of ex-Agniveers by up to five years and for the subsequent batches for three years. In addition, the ex-Agniveers would be exempted from the physical proficiency test.

The specified age limit for recruitment to paramilitary forces is 18-23 years. Those who join the armed forces even at the upper age limit of 21 years under the Agnipath scheme can be recruited by the CISF till the age of 30 after four years of service in the army or the Air Force or the Navy in case of the first batch and till 28 years for the subsequent batches.

(With inputs from PTI)