Veterans welcome move to give all Agniveers option to remain in armed forces, some say it came late

Seventy-five per cent of Agniveers from their first batch were set to be released under the Agnipath scheme before the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved giving the short-term recruits failing to make the cut after the initial four-year service an option to remain in service for two more years and a route to enrol as regular soldiers at the end of the extended period.

Many veterans welcomed the move, with some saying it may have come late. Major General (retd) Shammi Sabharwal said the timing matters. “Considering the current global situation, with conflicts taking place around the world, it may not be wise to release trained manpower that has already undergone four years of military training.”

He said the continued presence of these soldiers will improve unit efficiency amid unstable international conditions. Major General (retd) Sabharwal cited his years at the National Defence Academy and said many realise that military life is not for them after a few years. “With the extended tenure, Agniveers will have more time to decide whether they wish to continue. If they choose to leave, they can do so with dignity.”

Major General (retd) Yash Mor, who has been among the scheme’s critics, said the Cabinet decision brought the “badly planned and executed” Agnipath scheme back into focus. “Now we are given to understand that some of them are likely to be given a two-year extension? My stand on this scheme has been consistent for the last four years,” he said.

He said the Cabinet decision “amounts to almost the rollback of the scheme” and described it as a “good decision” that arrived late. He said the earlier recruitment system “was working perfectly fine” until someone brought the proposal, and that he was glad to have “stood rock solid” against it.

Lieutenant General (retd) DP Pandey described the decision as well-thought-out and positive, and said it reflects feedback from the unit level. “Whenever a new policy is implemented, of course, while it is being rolled out until it becomes perfect, many things have to be changed and evaluated,” he said.

He said the Cabinet decision should be read as part of the process of refining the model as it is rolled out, and not as a break from it.

Brigadier (retd) Hemant Mahajan said the move is mutually beneficial for the forces and the soldiers. “...Agniveers...having trained in multi-pronged operations over a period of time, will enrich the services.”

He described the four-year stint as short and transient and said the biggest negative was that four years is too little to train soldiers, particularly for technical arms and artillery. He said the extra two years will give them enough time to master ground skills and will improve their chances of being absorbed into the forces.

Major General (Retd) Dhruv C Katoch called the move “very positive” and said that Diwali has arrived four days early for the Agniveers.

Former Navy chief Admiral (retd) Dinesh Kumar Tripathi said having this trained manpower for two more years is “really good”, describing it as a “win-win situation for everyone”.