Defence and military reforms always run the risk of early triumphalism, undermining long-term change. But with Agnipath, like with OROP or the decision to go ahead with the Rafale deal, despite scathing pressure to back off, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown he is made of far sterner stuff than what he is credited with. Modi’s agnipariksha started in 2014 and continues to date, but each time he has only emerged much stronger, because ‘India First’ has always been his guiding ethos.
The Indian military is currently undergoing a fundamental transformation. These changes were made possible primarily due to the creation, in December 2019, of the post of Chief of Defence (CDS) staff by the Modi government, with the late General Bipin Rawat who was at that time appointed as the first CDS, also making him the head of a newly created Department of Military Affairs. General Rawat, who died in a chopper crash in 2021, was given an ambitious mandate to create joint theatre commands. This pleasantly surprised military reformists, with Admiral Arun Prakash calling it “the most significant development in the national security domain since independence.”
The Department of Military Affairs, perhaps without parallel among democracies, was created to address longstanding complaints against the civilian bureaucracy. Accordingly, 23 sections along with 160 civilian staff were transferred to this office, empowering the CDS on issues pertaining to officer promotions, defence planning, and inter-services prioritisation, among others. Theaterisation refers to placing units from the Army, Navy and/or Air Force under one commander. Again, the exact contours of joint theatres and their command arrangement would only be clear in a couple of years, but these debates indicate a potentially massive restructuring, which only a fearlessly progressive leader like PM Modi had the gumption to undertake.
Last year, the Indian Army rebutted the falsehoods peddled by Rahul Gandhi, post the martyrdom of Agniveer Gawate Akshay Laxman, who tragically lost his life while serving in Siachen. This rebuttal by the Army came in response to a controversy started by the inept Gandhi scion when he recklessly alleged that no financial assistance was provided to the martyr’s soldier’s next of kin under the Agnipath scheme. The Indian Army clarified that the emoluments offered to the family included the soldier’s pay for the remaining tenure from the date of his demise until the completion of four years, which, in this case, amounted to more than Rs 13 lakh. Furthermore, an additional contribution of Rs 8 lakh from the Armed Forces Battle Casualty Fund was provided to the next of kin. For immediate relief, the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) offered financial assistance of Rs 30,000. The finances provided to the martyr’s next of kin also included the non-contributory insurance of Rs 48 lakh, ex-gratia of Rs 44 lakh and Seva Nidhi of Rs 11.71 lakh, among other things.
A martyr’s contribution is priceless and no amount of money can ever compensate for a soldier’s life. But for Rahul Gandhi to irresponsibly run down our Agniveers under the garb of false sympathy, is symptomatic of how the Congress has never cared about the dignity of our men in uniform. The Agnipath scheme is a transformational reform for the Army and the nation that was long overdue. The Kargil War Commission had way back in 1999 recommended the need to drastically reduce the overall average age of the armed forces and Agnipath seeks to do precisely that, besides of course bringing a paradigm shift in the human resource management of the Indian Army.
The ‘Agnipath’ allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the armed forces for a period of 4 years. A youthful profile of the Army will provide a fresh lease of ‘josh and jazba’ while bringing about a transformational shift towards more technically savvy armed forces, which is the need of the hour. There will not be any compromise on the standards that the armed forces apply in ensuring the minimum physical, medical and professional parameters for new recruits.
During the implementation and stabilisation of the scheme, the Army’s operational capabilities and preparedness will be fully maintained. The Army will continue to retain its rich legacy, history, traditions, military values and culture, based on the principles of cohesiveness, camaraderie, Esprit-de-Corps and the core ethos of “Naam, Namak and Nishan”. It is envisaged that the average age profile of the Indian Armed Forces would come down from 32 years to 26 years, by implementation of this scheme. The dividends of a short military service to the nation, society and the youth of the nation are immense. This includes the inculcation of patriotism, teamwork, enhancement of physical fitness, ingrained loyalty to the country and availability of trained personnel to boost national security in times of external threats, internal threats and natural disasters.
After the end of the term, they will be able to apply for permanent jobs in the armed forces, and 25 per cent of them will be inducted. After the four-year service period, Agniveers who are not absorbed in regular commission will be paid a one-time ‘Seva Nidhi’ package amounting to Rs 11.71 lakh. They will also get preference in PSUs, state governments’ jobs, and state and Central police forces. While the Opposition parties and even some Army veterans have criticised the scheme, the fact is that such short service for soldiers was suggested over two decades ago, in the Kargil Review Committee report.
The committee had also recommended an integrated manpower policy for armed forces, para-military forces and the Central police forces. The report had further said, “The Army must be young and fit at all times. Therefore, instead of the present practice of having 17 years of colour service (as has been the policy since 1976), it would be advisable to reduce the colour service to a period of seven to ten years and, thereafter, release these officers and men for service in the country’s para-military formations.”
Besides the Kargil Committee, Arun Singh had also recommended lowering the age limit of soldiers way back in 1989 and the 6th Pay Commission too had suggested as much, in 2006.
The Committee formed after the Kargil War suggested that after the end of the service period, they could be absorbed in regular police forces or in a “National Service Corps (or a National Conservation Corps), as provided for under Article 5 lA(d) of the Constitution, to spearhead a range of land and water conservation and physical and social infrastructure development.” The committee had observed that this would reduce the age profile of the Army and the paramilitary forces and also reduce pension costs and other entitlements such as married quarters and educational facilities. In last year’s budget, for instance, Rs 5.25 lakh crore was allocated for defence, out of which roughly Rs 1.2 lakh crore was allocated for pensions, which means almost 23 per cent of the defence budget was spent on retirement benefits alone.
The Army pension has gone up sharply after the implementation of the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme. While cost reduction is just a byproduct of the Agnipath scheme, why should anyone have a problem with cost cutting, as long as the quality of our forces is not compromised? Also, spending disproportionately on pension means that very little is left for modernisation including the procurement of modern arms and equipment systems. Under the Agnipath scheme, candidates between the age of 17.5 years and 21 years will be recruited as Angiveers, and as they will serve for only 4 years, the maximum age of an Agniveer will be 25 years. Thus, our soldiers will remain young and fit during their entire term of service.
While 25 per cent of the Agniveers recruited under the Agnipath scheme will be absorbed into regular commission and promoted to higher ranks based on merit and service criteria, the remaining 75 per cent will be given preference in government and PSU jobs. Apart from state and Central police forces, the retired Agniveers will also be valuable manpower in Central and state disaster response forces and similar jobs requiring physical fitness. Those who wish to work will be given priority in CAPFs, police, Assam Rifles and allied forces in several states.
So while 75 per cent of the youth will no longer be with the Army after 4 years of service, they will certainly find gainful employment in various spheres in the government and private sector. Around 45000 to 50000 Agniveers will be recruited every year, which means substantial savings in pensions under the Agnipath scheme. The amount saved could in turn be used for enhancing capital expenditure in the defence sector, rather than spending on revenue expenditure alone.
Not just the Kargil Committee, the Indian Army had also proposed a recruitment scheme similar to Agnipath to save on manpower cost. In 2020, the Army had proposed a “tour of duty” (TOD) scheme to recruit youth for 3 years, instead of 17 years currently. 10 per cent reservation of jobs for Agniveers in Indian Coast Guard, Defence Civilian posts & 16 DPSUs for those meeting requisite eligibility criteria has been announced. The 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) are Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Limited, Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL), Mishra Dhatu Nigam (Midhani) Limited, Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), Advanced Weapons & Equipment India Ltd. (AW&EIL), Munitions India Limited (MIL), Yantra India Limited (YIL), Gliders India Limited (GIL), India Optel Limited (IOL) and Troop Comforts Limited (TCL). This reservation would be in addition to existing reservations for ex-servicemen. Necessary amendments to relevant recruitment rules will be undertaken to implement these provisions. Necessary age relaxation provisions will also be made.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to reserve 10 per cent of vacancies for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles for Agniveers, completing four years under the Agnipath scheme. The MHA also decided to give a 3-year age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit, to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs & Assam Rifles. Further, for the first batch of Agniveers, the age relaxation will be for 5 years beyond the prescribed upper age limit. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) has announced 6 attractive service opportunities for Agniveers from the Indian Navy, for a smooth transition into the highly skilled and remunerative Merchant Navy. These schemes for Agniveers include the transition from ratings in the Indian Navy to certified ratings in the Merchant Navy, transition from electrical ratings in the Indian Navy to certified electro-technical ratings in the Merchant Navy, transition from ratings in Indian Navy to certified Class IV-NCV CoC holder in Merchant Navy, and transition from cook in Indian Navy to certified cook in Merchant Navy.
In March 2023, the Union Home Ministry announced a 10 per cent reservation for former Agniveers in vacancies in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), after it notified a similar quota for them in the Border Security Force (BSF). The announcement was made through a notification after amending the rules made under the Central Industrial Security Force Act, 1968, (50 of 1968). The upper age limit shall be relaxable up to five years for candidates of the first batch of former Agniveers and up to three years for candidates of other batches, the ministry said. Ex-Agniveers will also be exempted from the physical efficiency test, the notification said.
In May 2023, the Railway Board also decided on a reservation policy for Agniveers in the Railway Protection Force (RPF). The reservation provided by the Railways – 10 per cent in Level 1 and 5 per cent in Level 2 – will be in the nature of horizontal reservation as in the case of Person with Benchmark Disability (PwBD), ex-servicemen and Course Completed Act Apprentices (CCAAs). The Agniveers will also be given exemption from physical efficiency tests and age relaxations, subject to terms.
The Indian military, the world’s fourth largest, has a proud tradition of being under firm civilian control. To be sure, there were some reforms after the 1999 Kargil War. However, structural weaknesses remained. It did not help that in the ten years of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s tenure (2004–2014), defence reforms were not a priority and civil-military relations were reportedly not at their very best. Going by the data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India has the distinction of being among the world’s largest arms importers over the last four decades.
Under the “self-sufficient India” (Atmanirbhar Bharat) initiative, the Modi government has, in a very public way, prioritised indigenous defence production. Despite opposition from labour unions, the government has boldly gone ahead with politically contentious issues like the corporatisation of ordnance factories. Perhaps the biggest achievement has been a mindset change engineered within the military and in the defence industry toward working harmoniously with each other. Now these stakeholders are encouraged to work together and the private sector is no longer imagined as a den of vice.
The government has also pushed the defence industry to focus on exports, which, according to one count, has grown by over 700 per cent from 2016 to 2019, alone. The third element of transformation is in the field of military diplomacy. Previous Congress regimes in New Delhi were hesitant and unsure about the proper place of the military in foreign policy, with the military left second-guessing its roles and priorities. However, under the Modi government, the Indian military is more open to engaging with its counterparts and like-minded partners, whether with the Quad countries or further afield.
In the final analysis, the Agnipath scheme is certainly well thought-out. As various Service Chiefs have pointed out repeatedly, this was in discussion for almost two years and came into effect only after deliberations with all key stakeholders. The main objective is to make the forces leaner and fitter and give youth a possibility to serve the country and when they come out after four years, their employment opportunities increase because they are well-trained and disciplined. Agnipath scheme is a win-win for the armed forces and for those who want to serve the armed forces. So, rolling back something which is a win-win for all, goes against every grain of logic. Hence a rollback is not on the cards, much as people like Rahul Gandhi may rant mindlessly against this scheme. Serving the armed forces, whether for a short duration or a long duration, is an act of valour, an act of nation-building and an opportunity for the youth to serve their country.
Let’s not forget that there has always been the Short Service Commission that has existed in the Army, which was never for the full tenure in any case. So why this hue and cry now about a 4-year tenure?
Agnipath is about imparting skill sets, discipline, and nationalist fervour and can’t be seen only from the prism of employment. How many 22-year-olds can boast of 4 years of world-class training in one of the world’s most reputed institutions, UGC-acknowledged skill certification, a kitty of Rs 11.71 lakh at the end of 4 years, insurance cover of Rs 48 lakh and access to education and bank loans at highly concessional rates?
Agnipath is not for those looking to find stable employment and a guaranteed job. Agnipath is for those Agniveers who wish to selflessly serve their motherland and after a stint of 4 years, are willing to take on the world in related avenues, in alternative defence-related establishments in the public or private sectors, should they not be absorbed into the regular cadre. If a youngster is not willing to take risks at the age of 21 or 22, when will he? Pension and gratuity-related benefits should be the last thing on a young man’s mind at the age of 21 or 22 because, at that age, one is just setting out and is expected to have far higher risk-taking abilities than someone who is, say, a 37 or a 38-year-old man.
Hence to look at Agnipath from the prism of a routine government job is a disservice to the very concept of this transformative initiative, which is in any case voluntary. No one is being forced to join this initiative. In the era of multi-domain hybrid wars, India, with its rich talent pool of youngsters, has every right to encash on the demographic dividend that a young population presents. The youth, in turn, get to serve, learn, be trained, get world-class skill sets and sizeable monetary benefits too. It is a classic win-win for the nation, the armed forces, the youth and the society at large. The only people unhappy are the Opposition parties and people like Rahul Gandhi, who have been rattled by this revolutionary scheme, as anything pro-India has never particularly resonated with India’s frayed and disparate Opposition.
Clearly, Agnipath is a transformational initiative by Prime Minister Modi and is primarily about those who wish to serve their motherland. The stamp of having served in one of the world’s largest and most credible forces, by far, has countless tangible and intangible benefits. For Agniveers, India beckons.
Sanju Verma is an Economist, National Spokesperson of the BJP and the Bestselling Author of ‘The Modi Gambit’. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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