Agneepath Scheme 2022: All Details You Must Need to Know

                                               Source: Modi Yojna Sarkari Yojna online process

What Is Agneepath Scheme?

The government approved the Agneepath program on June 14, 2022. It was developed by the late General Bipin Rawat and is intended to recruit soldiers into the three services of the armed forces below the rank of commissioned officers.

The new strategy calls for hiring between 45,000 and 50,000 soldiers (to be referred to as "Agniveers") annually for four years. For an additional 15 years, only 25% of the total annual recruits may remain in permanent status. To be able to apply, candidates must be between the ages of 17.5 and 21.

Recruitment: Under the guiding idea of "all India, all class," all Indians will be recruited into the services, regardless of caste, region, class, or religious background. Six months of training are followed by three and a half years of deployment. 

Pay & Perks: After four years of employment, new hires will get additional benefits totaling Rs 40,000 in addition to their starting salary of Rs 30,000. The government will make equal monthly contributions to the Seva Nidhi plan, which will get 30% of their income during this time, as well as interest. After their four-year contract is up, each soldier will receive a lump sum payment of Rs. 11.71 lakh that is tax-free. The first four years will not be counted toward retirement benefits for the 25% of servicemen who are reselected.

Objective

The AGNEEPATH initiative, according to the government, was developed to enable a youthful profile for the armed services. By attracting fresh talent from society who are more familiar with the latest technological trends and reinvesting trained, disciplined, and driven labor into the community. will improve its impression of youth, offer it a fresh take on "Josh and Jazba," and bring about a radical shift toward a more technologically advanced force, which is desperately needed.

Advantages of the Agneepath Scheme

The Agniveers will get real-world military experience if they are not retained. These people will also have an Rs. 12 lakh cash reserve. After at least two decades, if this idea is successfully implemented, the cost of ex-pensions veterans could reduce by up to 75%. A huge benefit for "Agniveers" will be priority employment in the state government's security forces. The Agniveers will receive a certificate called the "Agniveer Kaushal" certificate. Thanks to the arrival of recruits every four years, the average age of the armed forces will decrease from 32 to 26.

Issues Regarding the Scheme

Around 45,000 soldiers can be enlisted under the "Agnipath" system in the first year, but only on a four-year short-term contract. After the contract is completed, only 25% of them will remain in the forces, with the remaining 75% being freed. Alternative jobs won't fall inside the range and will lag behind their peers after four years of service. 

After four years of service, employees hired under the "Agnipath" scheme will receive a one-time lump sum payout of just over Rs 11 lakh. As a result, they do not get any pension payments. The majority of people discover that acquiring a second job is necessary to support themselves and their families. Veterans will quit the armed forces, and people who leave after four years may leave a void.

Protests Opposing the Scheme

Youth protested the initiative in states with high rates of army enlistment, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Rajasthan. In support of their peers in other states, youth organizations protested in Delhi as well. Students in Rajasthan and Bihar assert that job uncertainty is caused by the hiring procedure. 

46,000 young people between the ages of 17 and 21 will participate in the program throughout three services. On Thursday, the center raised the eligibility age for the new Agneepath military program from 21 to 23 years old. The system will be strengthened even more, and it is predicted that more firefighters will join the armed forces in the years to come. In a tweet, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asserted that there was no respect for the government, no rank, no pension, no direct recruitment for two years, and no steady future after that.

Government Response to the Scheme

Due to the experiences, skills, and disciplines that will emerge over the next four years, a wide range of career prospects and work options will increase. Alongside this strategy, the government also plans to reduce its military budget. to reduce pension costs in particular, which make up a major component of the military budget. Savings will be put to use for the military services, and they will be granted preference under bank lending programs and a 19% reservation for CAPF and Assam rifles.

Conclusion

The government needs to take into account several difficulties with this act, including pension benefits, the advancing age of the soldiers, and the loss of skill sets. Additionally, this program aids "future-ready" warriors. These soldiers will be able to work in a range of industries thanks to the expanded career opportunities and knowledge and expertise they have acquired over their four-year service.

Written by: Jay Kumar Gupta