Agnipath scheme: BJP-led states to hire de-inducted Agniveers in police, other services

A day after the centre announced the Agnipath scheme for recruitment of new soldiers at least four BJP-ruled states have announced they will give priority to de-inducted 'Agniveers' in police and affiliated jobs as well as some state schemes after they have completed their four years of service, in a bid to encourage the youth to warm up to the new program.

Under the new scheme that seeks to lower the age profile of combatants and create a "technically adept force", combatants between the age of 17.5 and 21 will be selected for a service of four years. However, at the end of the tenure, only 25% will be selected in the armed forces while the rest will be given Rs 11.7 lakh and de-inducted. This has posed a question on future employability of the de-inducted soldiers even as the centre believes the skills acquired by such soldiers during the four years will help them get employment in many fields. The centre has also said it will look at "rehabilitating" such soldiers, providing them with skill certificates and bridge courses.





Therefore, it was in keeping with the centre's assurance to the youth that chief ministers of BJP ruled Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Assam announced various promises seeking to encourage the youth to apply for the services.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath said the 'Agniveers' will be given priority in police and related services. Similar announcement was made by Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar who said his government will give preference to the 75% soldiers who come back and seek government jobs and for other sectors too, schemes will be made to give them precedence. MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the state will give such soldiers priority in MP police. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said the de-inducted soldiers will be prioritised under the Assam Aarogya Nidhi Initiative- a yearly financial assistance scheme to provide reimbursement to families with yearly income less than Rs 5 lakh for treatment of serious diseases including accident cases- as well as given preference in Assam police.

UP CM on Tuesday had asked the home department to expedite recruitment to the 40,000 vacant posts in the police service and complete the process by December, 2023. While it has already completed recruitment of over 9,500 sub inspectors after Yogi came to power for a second term in the state, with existing training institutes choc-a-bloc, the new recruits will be able to get training only by the year end, said a senior official. Filling a large number of vacancies also requires undertaking examinations of tens of lakhs of aspirants who apply which could easily become a logistical nightmare.