Agnipath Scheme

Miscellaneous

Launched: 2022 
It is a short-service manpower model for recruitment to the armed forces. 
Around 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers will be recruited annually.  
It allows for the recruitment of individuals between the ages of 17.5 and 21 years for a four-year service period, known as "Agniveers”. 
It is a scheme of recruiting army personnel below officer ranks such as soldiers, airmen, and sailors who are not commissioned officers to the Indian Armed Forces. 
They are recruited for a period of 4 years, after which, upto 25% of these recruits can join the services on a permanent commission (another 15 years), subject to merit and organisational requirements. 
Objective 
- To reduce the permanent force size significantly for the country’s armed forces, which currently consist of over 13 lakh personnel.  
- Only 25% of recruits will be allowed to continue for another 15 years under permanent commission.  
- This change is expected to lower the average age in the forces from 32 to 26 within the next 6 to 7 years. 
Pay and Benefits 
- If they die on duty, their family receives Rs 1 crore (including the Seva Nidhi package) and full pay for the period which the soldier could not serve. 
- In case of disability, an Agniveer can receive upto Rs 44 lakh as compensation, depending on the percentage of disability suffered.  
- The scheme provides a one-time payment of Rs 11.71 lakh on completion of a 4-year tenure, but no gratuity or pension.