Much has happened since the day of the announcement of the Agnipath scheme. Bharat has witnessed the effects with stated objectives of the Armed Forces, duly assisted by various committees’ recommendations being in sync on one side of the spectrum. On the other side, it is being used as a ‘political coin’ by politicians and a few veterans misusing the opportunity to join political bandwagons rather than understanding and supporting the Armed Forces with constructive suggestions and debate on the subject.
Why Agnipath is essential
The Agnipath scheme is necessary and future-ready due to the following considerations:
(a) It allows a younger profile of the Armed Forces and especially enhances operational efficiency. It adds fresh blood into ‘leading troops’ and keeps the ‘josh’ higher. Visits to many units and feedback from peers serving in the Armed Forces have had much more positive confirmations about this entry and there have been some suggestions as well but there has been no cause for concern over trainability, etc, as was being projected by political twisters.
(b) It fills up increasing voids even at lower ranks; something which has happened in the last two decades and governments have not focused on this emerging shortfall trend. This entry allows much of that void to be compensated and the overall force level to be near 100% at entry level, sooner.
(c) The competitive atmosphere for selection is better poised with more robust soldiers meeting the mark. The entry process itself has not undergone any compromise and unlike being misfed by politicians, there have been many more applications for the vacancies offered.
(d) The retention limit, which is 25% today, allows a fierce professional performance and gives a competitive edge to better soldiers and that also keeps the profile better for junior leaders who will serve post-retention.
(e) The scheme allows financial flexibility and reduces the cost to the exchequer, both for the period of service of the Agniveer and pension outflows in future. It is pertinent to understand that while the number of soldiers retiring every year is larger than those leaving the pension benefits and as such in years ahead, the pension bills would not be sustainable and if some portion is sans that, with higher one-time benefits on retirement, it would be a prudent step.
(f) It provides the much-desired opportunity to many personnel below officer rank to proceed out and take on a second career with some corpus at their disposal, which can also lead to entrepreneurial avenues too.
Status of post-retirement offtake plans
While the 25% will be retained as per current plans, the destiny of the outgoing 75% does not completely hang in the balance as claimed by naysayers. With plans ranging from absorption by government departments and PSUs, and a positive outlook from the private sector, to reducing intake age by four years and financial tranche being offered, the Agnipath scheme in no way leaves a soldier without opportunities, for those who seek them and are committed to perform. While the avenues for absorption are aplenty, there has to be a focused “approach towards placements”, duly planned and executed. While certain sections of the government might find the task a tad bit difficult to execute, essentially because of the steps taken and lack of momentum, there is a way in which we could plan better within the next two years and be on time for the first batch to find new horizons.
Summary of feedback from environment
The feedback, summarised below, is from the environment, as per interactions with commanders, commanding officers, Agniveers, and many others, across the spectrum:
(a) The quality of soldiers recruited as Agniveers is good, and they have a very competitive spirit and outlook. Their assessed performance in field and battlecraft has been exemplary for most and the zeal to perform and ambition to get retained is high.
(b) The 25% absorption should happen in situ and declared without the need for all to initially be taken off the roll and reinstated based on merit.
(c) The retention could be considered at 50% and in line with the cadre retention rate which is prevalent in various segments of the Armed Forces.
(d) Legal cases might be more, initially challenging the assessment process accredited to the commanding officer and as such a board at a regimental centre level could be considered to obviate the legal hassles, which might also be politically motivated.
(e) The recruitment directorate should be better aligned in the process and ensure no gap in numbers pertaining to both intake and retention.
Recommended broad approach
While much has been done and much more must be done, one would propose a broad approach for absorption of Agniveers with long-tenor visibility for assured second career options. One would like to enunciate ‘steps to take’ for an option, as follows:
(a) Screening and aptitude tests for Agniveers, based on the needs of the industry.
(b) Mapping of ‘industry need’ for the next 10 years, as per each sectoral requirement.
(c) Mapping of talent and requirements.
(d) Skilling, upskilling, and reskilling of Agniveer to fit mapped industry opportunities.
(e) Monitoring of programme holistically by a centrally constituted committee or an implementation agency.
(f) Creation of entrepreneurial opportunities for ‘Agniveers’ and connectivity to finance and incubation centres.
Strategic construct
To evolve a plan, execute, and monitor, we need an apex committee or implementation group which is duly composed of elements of government (all relevant ministries as already mentioned in planning documents and others that are needed, including the ministry for skill development and entrepreneurship, Armed Forces (all services), industry, coordinating agencies for skilling, etc, appropriate chambers to manage industry, central agency, etc. As part of recommendations and as a volunteer to drive this endeavour, one would propose overall coordination under the aegis of HQ IDS with the members from the three services of the Armed Forces, Niti Aayog, FICCI (defence and skilling), AWPO, etc, IISSM as nodal skilling agency, select captains of industry (larger capability to absorb Agniveers), relevant skill institutes, etc, under the supervision of the PMO for the first five years and then delegated to a controlling ministry (Raksha Mantri).
Conclusion
Keeping aside the ‘political bickering and turmoil’ craftily curated against the interests of Bharat and the Armed Forces, there is ample opportunity to shape the ‘lean, mean, and fit’ future of the nextgen military, with a brighter horizon available to the youth to take on second careers, as most endeavour to in the rank of ‘other ranks’, with a high rate of discharge applications that we have observed in the last two decades.
Like many ‘neo concepts’ in an era governed by stereotypes, tunnel vision, and ‘dastoori daastan’, the Agniveer conceptually is facing challenges that are stoked by political motives and nonchalance to bring it down, to play to a gallery, without understanding the larger benefits to the Armed Forces and against the recommendations of various committees and studies done on the subject to make the Armed Forces ‘lean and fit’.
As a veteran with experience in corporate and entrepreneurship and connect to the ground, one is a volunteer to assist the Armed Forces and the government to curate a better future for Agniveers. The time for Agniveers is now and forever!
Colonel Rohit Dev, a 2nd Generation Army Officer, is an Adjunct Professor at the Rashtriya Raksha University, a Geo-political Analyst and a Primetime TV personality. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
Comments
0 comment