PM Modi interacts with 1st batch of Agniveers, hails them as pioneers of path-breaking scheme

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a virtual interaction with the first batch of Agniveers, recruited under the new Agnipath scheme rolled out last year. During the virtual meet with Agniveers, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was also present.

PM Modi interacted with more than 25,000 Agniveers via virtual conference and congratulated the freshly trained Agniveers on being the ‘pioneers of path-breaking Agniveer scheme.’

The newly recuited Agnieers are first set of jawans, recruited under the short-term induction program of Armed Forces.

#WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh interact with Agniveers.

(Source: PMO) pic.twitter.com/SmCKyzSbjW

— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2023

Addressing the Agniveers, PM Modi said, “the policy would be nothing less than a game changer in strengthening our armed forces and making them future ready.”

About Agnipath scheme

The first batch of Agniveers included about 25,800 soldiers, including 19,000 recruits for the Indian Army, 2,800 recruits for Indian Navy and 3,000 for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The Agnipath scheme, implemented last year was brought with an intention to cut flab in the Armed Forces and also add ‘young blood’.

Under the scheme, launched on July 14, 2022, the three Armed Forces will be recruiting youths between 17.5 years to 21 years for a four-year term. The Agniveers will have a service tenure of 4 years and will have chance of continuing in the Armed Forces depending upon their fitness & suitability to job. The law makes a provision to 25% of the Agniveers for 15 more years in the Army. In 2022, however, the upper age limit was extended to 23 years, after public uproar.

Opposition parties went in attack mode, post the roll-out of Agnipath scheme and slammed the govt for ‘diluting’ & weakening’ the Army. Govt dismissed all charges as mere speculations and asserted that this would add more youthfulness & vigour to armed forces.