समाचार Samāchār · Defence · 4 November 2026

Agniveers get a second tour of duty. Pay and selection rules are still to come

The 75% who were due to leave after four years will be offered two more, and a route into the regular forces after that. The first batch was weeks from the door.

The Agnipath scheme has changed at the moment of its first real test. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a two-year Second Tour of Duty. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of Defence Staff Gen NS Raja Subramani announced it weeks before more than 18,000 Agniveers were due to finish their four years. What changed is the exit. The 75% who had to leave now have a way to stay.

The terms as stated are these. 25% are still enrolled on merit at four years. The remaining 75% are offered two more years on enhanced pay. After that, those willing will be enrolled, subject to objective selection criteria. Gen Subramani said: “The Cabinet has created a pathway for all Agniveers to be absorbed into the Indian Army.” He said the first four years are unchanged and the scheme has not been discontinued. Rajnath Singh called it a continuation of long-term structural reforms and “not merely a recruitment policy”.

This came up from the forces. The CDS said feedback on the first batch was very positive and that the defence forces recommended the extension. The Week reports three to four months of discussion. The scheme began on 14 June 2022 to lower the average age of the forces. It has drawn criticism for its short engagement and for what comes after service. Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Maharashtra answered with reservations or jobs in police and other government services. This is अनुभव Anubhav put to use: a scheme run, reviewed and changed before its first large exit.

The fine print is what matters now. The Federal reports the first batch leaving from 21 November, with Army and Air Force batches by 31 December. The reports give no pay figures for the extension, no selection criteria and no number for how many can be absorbed. “All willing” and “subject to selection” are not the same promise. The published rules will decide which one this is.

What a founder takes from it: Companies in security, logistics and manufacturing that planned to hire Agniveers this winter should reset to late 2028. For the country the question stays open until the rules are out: how to keep a young force and give every soldier a real next step.