Bengaluru: Agniveers who opt for a two-year extension after their initial four-year tenure can be absorbed into the Armed Forces as regular personnel without any percentage cap, provided they meet the prescribed selection criteria, Air Vice Marshal G Ananth said on Thursday.

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Speaking to reporters here, Ananth, Senior Officer-in-Charge Administration, Headquarters Training Command, said the first 25 per cent of Agniveers had been retained on merit, while the remaining 75 per cent would be offered an additional two-year engagement period.

"It is actually a win-win situation for both the Service and the Agniveers, because for the 75 per cent who come back to service for two years, the option to join is available to each one of them. There is no percentage cap now. If all 75 per cent decide to join, they will be taken in, subject to their willingness and the assessment criteria - that is, their discipline, medical fitness and performance in service," he said.

Responding to a question, Ananth said the decision followed an objective review of the scheme and was aimed at harnessing the experience and expertise gained by Agniveers during their service.

"The 25 per cent who have been inducted right now are meritoriously selected persons. So it is clear that the 75 per cent who were not inducted were not on the merit list. The top 25 per cent are as per merit," he said.

When asked whether Agniveers serving the additional two years would be considered ex-servicemen, the officer said that, "For now, all Agniveers -- the initial Agniveers for four years and those in the extended engagement period of two years -- will follow the rules, regulations and norms of service applicable to Agniveers".

"Since the earlier Agniveers do not have the status of ex-servicemen, these Agniveers will also not have it. They will follow the rules set for Agniveers," he clarified.

On the benefits during the extended engagement, he said Agniveers would receive a Seva Nidhi package of Rs 10.92 lakh after the two-year period.

According to him, during the extension, their monthly pay would be around Rs 43,500 in the first year and Rs 47,500 in the second year. While the individual would contribute 30 per cent of the pay towards savings, the government would contribute 70 per cent.

He said the additional engagement would benefit both the Services and individuals by retaining trained manpower and giving Agniveers more time to improve their educational qualifications and acquire certifications.

"The skills, technological adaptability and education of those who joined us as Agniveers have improved," he said, adding that the scheme had also opened up opportunities for women in the Armed Forces.

In a major overhaul of the Agnipath scheme, the government on Wednesday announced that Agniveers set to exit the military at the end of their four-year tenure will be given an additional two-year extension period and subsequently offered permanent recruitment, subject to meeting specific eligibility criteria and individual consent.

The decision was announced by Chief of Defence Staff Gen N S Raja Subramani, shortly after the Union Cabinet approved the changes in the military recruitment scheme as recommended by the three services.

In June 2022, the government rolled out the Agnipath recruitment scheme with an aim to bring down the age profile of the three services.

The scheme provides for recruiting youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years and 21 for four years.

Several opposition parties, including the Congress, had targeted the government over the scheme wondering what will happen to 75 per cent of the Agniveers after their four-year tenure ends, as only 25 per cent of the total recruits will be retained for 15 years.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Mathrubhumi and is published from a syndicated feed.)