Indian Army to increase Agniveer recruitment to 1 lakh annually
What's the story
The Indian Army is planning to significantly increase its annual recruitment of Agniveers, the soldiers recruited under the Agnipath scheme, The Indian Express reported. The move comes as an effort to address a shortfall of nearly 1.8 lakh troops that has built up over the years. Currently, the force recruits between 45,000-50,000 Agniveers annually, but plans are afoot to increase this number to over one lakh each year from now on.
Shortfall reasons
COVID-19 pandemic and Agnipath scheme contributed to troop shortfall
The shortfall has largely been attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, when recruitment was stalled. During this period, around 60,000-65,000 soldiers retired every year, adding to the deficiency. The situation was further exacerbated by the introduction of the Agnipath scheme in mid-2022, which allowed for four-year contractual enlistments but did not immediately fill existing vacancies.
Recruitment update
Initial Agniveer recruitment plans and current situation
When the scheme was launched in June 2022, a total of 46,000 vacancies were allotted for recruitment across the Army, Navy, and Indian Air Force. Of them, 40,000 were for the Army. The initial plan was to progressively increase Agniveer intake over four years with a cap at 1.75 lakh for the Army alone. However, despite the inductions, retirements continued at an annual rate of about 60-65 thousand soldiers, adding to the overall deficiency by 20,000-25,000 annually.
Official statement
Army's response to recruitment challenges
The Indian Army has said that it plans to recruit 1.75 lakh Agniveers by the end of 2025. "Recruitment of Agniveers will be undertaken to cater for existing deficiencies, and accordingly, the vacancies will be released," an official statement said. The Army is now looking at releasing additional vacancies for recruitment of Agniveers to about one lakh annually from this year onward.