Indian Air Force releases details for Agnipath scheme
Highlights
- IAF releases details of Agnipath scheme amid ongoing agitation
- IAF document lists eligibility, educational, life insurance cover, etc., among many other factors
- The process for recruitment will begin from June 24
Agnipath scheme: The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday released the details of the Agnipath recruitment scheme amid the ongoing agitation and widespread protests against the scheme across several states. The IAF document lists the eligibility, educational qualification, medical standards, assessment, leave, remuneration, life insurance cover, etc., among many other factors. The process for recruitment will begin from June 24.
The development came a day after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday approved a proposal to reserve 10 per cent of the job vacancies in the Ministry of Defence for Agniveers meeting requisite eligibility criteria. Earlier, the Home Ministry decided to reserve 10 per cent vacancies for recruitment in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles for Agniveers. Home Ministry had further announced that it will give three years of age relaxation to Agniveers beyond the prescribed upper age limit to recruitments in CAPFs and Assam Rifles. For the first batch of Agniveers, the age relaxation will be of 5 years.
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As the recruitment process is also open to those below 18 years, the enrolment form will need to be signed by the parents for those aspirants who are below 18 years of age, the IAF notification said. "Post the period of four years, each Agniveer will go back to the society, based on organisational requirements and policies promulgated by the IAF," the document said, explaining the benefits which the government will provide to the 75 per cent who will not be retained.
"Agniveers will not have the right to be selected for further enrolment into the Armed Forces. Selection will be the exclusive jurisdiction of the government," the document said further. The IAF said apart from the age limit (17.5 years to 23 years this year and 17.5 years to 21 years from the next), the educational qualifications, physical, and medical standards required will be detailed later. "IAF will endeavour to maintain a centralised high quality online database of Agniveers and will follow a transparent common assessment methodology," the IAF said in the notification.
Soon after the launch of the scheme, the government of India announced that it has decided to increase the upper age limit for the recruitment of Agniveers from 21 years to 23 years for the recruitment cycle of 2022.
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