Table of Contents
What’s happening?
- Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday unveiled the “Agnipath” scheme which aims to transform the armed forces.
- “Under Agnipath scheme, Indian youngsters will be provided opportunity to serve in armed forces as Agniveer”, Rajnath Singh said.
- The Agnipath scheme brought to strengthen India’s security, he added.
- The ‘Agnivirs’ will be given a good pay package and an exit retirement package after a service of 4 years, the defence minister said.
- Our effort is to provide youthful profile to armed forces through rollout of Agnipath recruitment scheme.
- This move comes in a bid to slash the ballooning salary and pension bills,
- Amid major concerns the move will adversely impact the professionalism, military ethos and fighting spirit of the over 14-lakh strong armed forces.
- Lt Gen Anil Puri while elaborating on the scheme said that Agniveers would be a part of this future-ready soldier.
- “Agniveer would be India’s young protector. After being with us for
- 4 years, an Agniveer’s resume and biodata will be very unique. He’ll stand out in the crowd with his attitude, his skills and the time he would’ve spent with us,” he added.
About the sceme
- Agnipath is a pan India merit-based recruitment scheme for enrolling soldiers, airmen and sailors.
- The scheme provides an opportunity for youth to serve in the regular cadre of the armed forces.
- All those recruited under the ‘Agnipath’ scheme will be called ‘Agniveers’.
- Agniveers will be enrolled for a service duration of 4 years including training period.
- After four years, only 25% of the Agniveers will be retained or re-enlisted in the regular cadre based on merit, willingness and medical fitness.
- They will then serve for a full term of another 15 years.
- The first four years, served under a contract, are not likely to be taken into consideration for the fixation of the final pensionary benefits.
- The other 75% Agniveers will be demobilized, with an exit or “Seva Nidhi” package of Rs 11-12 lakh, partly funded by their monthly contributions, as well as skill certificates and bank loans for help in their second careers.
Age limit
- Agniveers will be recruited in the age limit of 5 to 21 year age gap.
Recruitment
- Candidates will be enrolled under the respective service act for a service duration of 4 years.
- Centralised transparent screening assessment based on merit and demonstrated performance during service.
- 100% candidates can apply on volunteer basis to enrol in regular cadre.
- 1st rally will start from 90 days from today
Salary
- Agniveers will be given Rs 30,000 per month. Rs 4.76 lakh is the package that it starts with.
- It will increase to 92 lakhs in 4th year.
- Risk/hardship allowance and Income tax exempt.
- After 4 years, Agniveer can volunteer.
- For all Agniveers who achieve martyrdom, full payment of unserved service years will be given.
- The scheme will lead to improved battle preparedness through selection of the best with rigorous and transparent selection process,
Seva nidhi
- Upto 25% Agniveers to be selected as regular cadre based on central, transparent system after four years.
- 100% candidates can apply on volunteer basis to enroll in regular cadre.
- They will be entitled to awards, medals and insurance cover like the regular cadre of soldiers, airmen and sailors.
- Corpus of Rs 10.04 lakhs plus accrued interest exempted from Income Tax, after four years.
Financial package
- Death Compensation Non-contributory life insurance cover of Rs 48 lakhs..
- Additional Ex Gratia of Rs 44 lakhs for death attributable to service.
- Pay for unserved portion upto four including ‘Seva Nidhi’ component.
challenges
- Experts say that one of the biggest challenges confronting India’s military modernization is the defense budget.
- In 2020, India’s defense budget stood at around $72.9 billion, while that of China amounted to about $178 billion.
- “The one singular problem in India’s case is that the payroll expenditure for a manpower-intensive Indian army, in particular, is going through the roof,” he said.
- “Consider this: the army took up fully 56% of the 2020-2021 budget or $38 billion, of this only 18%, Or approximately $7 billion, was allotted for capital expenditure, which is for the procurement of modern armaments and spares.
- $7 billion doesn’t buy much military modernization these days,” Karnad explained.
What govt says?
- The government says the Agnipath scheme is aimed at reducing the salary component in the revenue expenditure and the pension bill,
- Which together account for roughly half of the annual defence budget of Rs 5.25 lakh crore, and consequently increase the funds for military modernization
criticism
- The scheme has attracted a lot of flak from many serving as well as retired officers, who stress it takes seven to eight years to become a fully trained combat-ready soldier, airman or sailor.
- “It will lead to poorly motivated and trained military personnel, who will become risk-averse because the bulk of them will have to hunt for second careers after four years,” a serving officer said.
- Added another officer, “The basic ethos of Indian soldiers revolves around ‘Naam, Namak and Nishaan’ (reputation of his battalion or `paltan’, fidelity and ensign or colours).
- They fight against almost insurmountable odds, like they did while climbing up the Kargil heights in 1999.
- Short-term or contractual employment will impact this fighting spirit.”
conclusion
- With the Agnipath scheme around two years in the making, the 11.78 lakh strong Army has been grappling with a manpower crunch,
- Due to recruitment of jawans through large rallies and camps remaining suspended ostensibly on the grounds of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- The Army had recruited 53,431 and 80,572 jawans through the rallies in 2018-19 and 2019-20 before they were suspended.
Q) India has finalised a Deal with which country for manufacturing AK-47 203 rifles in India?
- Israel
- USA
- Russia
- France
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