Centre launched the Agnipath scheme in June 2022 that provisioned to hire the youths between the age of 17.5 to 21 for a period of four years, of which only 25% can be further permanently recruited in the armed force

Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan on Friday announced reservations for Agniveers in their police and security forces after their stint in the army, in an effort to quell the outrage over the short-term induction of soldiers under the controversial Agnipath scheme and provide them a safety net if they are not retained in regular service.

(Representative Photo)

The grievances of Agniveers, who will serve a four-year stint in the armed services before 25% of them are chosen for permanent commission, were seen as a major factor for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) tepid performance in the Lok Sabha elections.

The announcement by the six state governments came on the 25th anniversary of India’s victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War.

It also came days after the government in Haryana, where assembly elections are due this year, on July 17 announced a 10% reservation for Agniveers in some state government jobs and an age relaxation in eligibility for other services.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai said Agniveers from the state would be given priority while recruiting police constables and forest and jail guards once they complete their service in the army.

“The state government will soon issue guidelines to provide a fixed reservation quota for Agniveers, ensuring they receive preference in these recruitments,” he told reporters on the assembly premises.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav hailed the scheme and told reporters in Bhopal, “As per the wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state government has decided to give reservations to Agniveers in police and security forces. The Agniveer scheme is, in the real sense, an attempt to not only modernise the armed forces and to recruit capable jawans but also to make them young at the global level.”

Odisha chief minister Mohan Majhi said the short-service soldiers will get 10% reservations in state police, among other jobs. Like Haryana, the eastern state also announced an age relaxation in eligibility for other services.

“Ten percent of the posts in uniformed forces of the state will be reserved for Agniveers. They will also get a five-year age relaxation for other services after their return from the armed forces. A legislation will soon be brought in this regard,” Majhi told reporters at the state secretariat.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said Agniveers will be given weightage in the state police and Provincial Armed Constabulary, a force that was set up in 1948 to prevent frequent deployment of the army in grave law and order situations.

“…As the Agniveer scheme progresses and when these youngsters return after their service, we will provide facility and weightage for their adjustment in the UP Police and PAC forces. We will get trained and disciplined youngsters as Agniveers. Our government is fully committed to this,” he told reporters at his official residence before leaving for the NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also assured reservation in government jobs for the soldiers inducted under the short-term recruitment scheme. Addressing a programme in Dehradun to pay tributes to the armed forces personnel who fought valiantly during the Kargil War in 1999, Dhami said legislation would be brought to provide the reservation.

“We will make provisions and bring an Act to give reservations to them in government services. We are working on this plan. We will make use of their skills and discipline in various government departments,” he said. 

Rajasthan chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma announced that the Agniveer soldiers in the state will be provided with a significant reservation at the three government departments. 

“I bow down in front of the Bravehearts of the Kargil War on its 25th anniversary, who sacrificed themselves for their motherland. On this day, the Rajasthan government has decided to give the Agniveers reservations in the police department and as prison guards and forest guards,” said the CM while speaking to media persons in Delhi. 

He added, “Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Agnipath scheme to provide the honest and dedicated youth an opportunity to serve the country. The Rajasthan government’s latest decision will now also enable these soldiers to continue their service for the country and its people.”

PM Modi also backed Agnipath, saying, “The aim to launch the Agnipath scheme was to keep the arm forces younger and continuously fit for the war. It was a long-time concern for several parliamentary committees that the average age of the Indian soldiers is higher than the global average. But nobody showed any determination to make a reformation.”

Taking a dig at the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, he further said, “They lacked bullet-proof jackets for the army and now they are misleading the people.”.

However, amid such a major political salvo across the country, around seven other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Chhattishgarh, and Odisha also declared about a 10% reservation for the Agniveers in the state police force long before Rajasthan. 

Centre launched the Agnipath scheme in June 2022 that provisioned to hire the youths between the age of 17.5 to 21 for a period of four years, of which only 25% can be further permanently recruited in the armed forces based on their previous performance throughout the four years. Meanwhile, the rest of the soldiers would be relieved with a lump sum amount of around Rs.11.71 lakh, plus benefits but no pension. 

According to their terms of engagement, in the case of their demise as a battle casualty, the emoluments to their next of kin include Rs.48 lakh non-contributory insurance and an ex-gratia of Rs.44 lakh, ‘Seva Nidhi’ with 30% contributed by the Agniveer and an equal matching contribution from the government, and interest thereon.

In addition, the soldiers’ next of kin would receive pay for the balance tenure from the date of death to completion of four years (about Rs.13 lakh) and a contribution of Rs.8 lakh from the Armed Forces Battle Casualty Fund.

However, the decision sparked a massive protest by the youth across the country over the lack of job security under the scheme. The opposition parties also have been raising the issue during the campaigning of the general election earlier this year. 

During a poll rally of the Congress in Haryana on May 21, senior party leader Rahul Gandhi promised that his party would scrap the Agnipath scheme if it came to power, as it is against the interest of the military people.