PM Modi Interacts With First Batch Of Agniveers; Hails Them As Pioneers Of Path-breaking Scheme

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a virtual interaction with the first batch of Agniveers, recruited under the new Agnipath scheme rolled out last year.

PM Modi interacted with more than 25,000 Agniveers via virtual conference and congratulated the freshly trained Agniveers on being the ‘pioneers of path-breaking Agniveer scheme.’

The newly recuited Agnieers are first set of jawans, recruited under the short-term induction program of Armed Forces.

The Agnipath scheme, implemented last year was brought with an intention to cut flab in the Armed Forces and also add ‘young blood’.

The first batch of Agniveers included about 25,800 soldiers, including 19,000 recruits for the Indian Army, 2,800 recruits for Indian Navy and 3,000 for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Under the scheme, launched on July 14, 2022, the three Armed Forces will be recruiting youths between 17.5 years to 21 years for a four-year term. The Agniveers will have a service tenure of 4 years and will have chance of continuing in the Armed Forces depending upon their fitness & suitability to job. The law makes a provision to 25% of the Agniveers for 15 more years in the Army. In 2022, however, the upper age limit was extended to 23 years, after public uproar.