Former Army Chief hints at 'badlaav' in Agniveer scheme: 'Some changes could be made after...'

Former army chief General VK Singh has suggested that some changes may be made in the Agnipath scheme once the first batch of recruits completes four years of service. Under the Agnipath Scheme, which was rolled out in June 2022 as part of the defence modernisation, youth are recruited for four years and they are called 'agniveers'. After four years of service, 25 per cent of agniveers will be retained, while the rest of them will be released - a clause that has upset army aspirants. 

In its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the Congress has promised to scrap this new recruitment scheme and return to the older one where soldiers were recruited for 16 years of service. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi claims that the new scheme was not endorsed by the army chiefs and that it was thrust upon them to cut pension costs. 

VK Singh, however, rejected this claim, saying this recommendation actually came from the army for several reasons. "One reason is the concept of 'Tour of Duty' present in many countries, where individuals serve in the army for a certain period and then return to civilian life. This has multiple benefits: it keeps the profile of the armed forces young, and since these roles are not permanent, it may also lead to some savings in the long run. Additionally, it provides manpower for various tasks," the former army chief said in a podcast - Top Angle. 

In June 2022, when this reform was announced, the Ministry of Defence said the Agnipath scheme had been designed to enable a youthful profile of the armed forces.

Singh, who served as army chief from March 2010 to May 2012, said the first batch of agniveers has already joined their units. "From the feedback I have received, especially from the infantry (as our regiment also had many such recruits), the children are very motivated and enthusiastic, and everyone is pleased with them. There's still time before the four-year term is completed, so I believe there will be some changes," he said.  

"I think we should allow two to three years, and thereafter, if the recruits perform excellently, the government might reconsider and not waste this potential."

The army veteran suggested that agniveers may not be forcibly retired and some changes may be made after four years of service. "To say that they will be forcibly retired is not accurate," he said. "Those who claim this should study the 'Tour of Duty' concept, which is practiced in many countries with a manpower shortage, where everyone is trained for service, such as in Singapore, Israel, or France." 

Singh, who also served as minister in the Modi government, said the time has not come for a proper evaluation of this scheme yet. "The recruits have only recently completed their six-month training and joined their units."

When asked if there were any changes, the former army chief said: "Mujhe lagta hai ke, badlaav ki bahut ummeed hai." "Think of it this way: if you hired ten people for temporary work, and they ended up doing the work of forty, you might reconsider making their positions permanent after two years. This is still an assessment phase."

The Passing Out Parade (POP) of the first batch of agniveers was held at INS Chilka on March 28, 2023. This marked the completion of training of close to 2600 Agniveers including 273 women Agniveers. In December, the passing out parade of the women agniveers along with the second intake of men agniveers was held in Belagavi, Karnataka.