Why are the Indian Armed Forces looking to retain Agniveers beyond the 25% quota?

The Agnipath recruitment model is approaching its biggest test since it was introduced in 2022.

The first batch of Agniveers is preparing to complete its tenure as their four-year engagement is scheduled to end in October later this year.

As that milestone draws closer, the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force are reassessing the rule that allows only up to 25 per cent of every Agniveer batch to continue in permanent service.

Experience gathered during the first four years of implementation has prompted the three services to examine whether the existing ceiling adequately serves their operational needs or whether it should be modified.

The review is being carried out by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), headed by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). According to The Indian Express, all three services have submitted proposals recommending that a larger proportion of Agniveers be retained.

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Why is the military reassessing the Agnipath scheme now?

The initial group of recruits entered the armed forces in early 2023, meaning they will complete their mandatory four-year tenure in October 2026.

Under the existing rules, all Agniveers must first be discharged at the end of their engagement before eligible volunteers are selected through a merit-based process for enrolment into the regular cadre.

Since this will be the first time the process is implemented on such a scale, the services have spent the past few years evaluating how the scheme has performed in practice rather than solely on paper.

Internal assessments have reportedly found that Agniveers have adapted well to military life and have displayed high levels of motivation, physical fitness and the ability to learn new technologies.

The original framework, announced in June 2022, established a common retention ceiling of 25 per cent for all three services. While this uniform approach was intended to simplify implementation, military planners now believe the operational requirements of the Army, Navy and Air Force differ enough to justify separate retention policies.

Why are the three services seeking different retention levels?

Reports indicate that the Indian Navy has recommended retaining around 70 to 75 per cent of its Agniveers after completion of their four-year service.

The Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, meanwhile, are understood to have proposed increasing retention to approximately 50 per cent.

The Navy's proposal is driven primarily by the highly technical nature of maritime warfare. Modern naval operations depend upon personnel capable of operating sophisticated systems across multiple domains, including submarine operations, naval aviation, communications, anti-submarine warfare and electronic warfare.

Unlike many conventional military roles, these specialisations require extended training before an individual can independently perform operational tasks.

Similarly, the Air Force has emphasised the need to preserve expertise in advanced avionics, aircraft systems and technologically intensive operational environments.

The Army's proposal, while also recognising the importance of retaining trained personnel, is shaped more by manpower requirements and the need to maintain continuity within operational formations.

Why has retaining personnel become an operational priority?

One of the strongest arguments emerging from the review concerns the considerable investment required to train military personnel for specialised roles. For technical branches, particularly within the Navy and Air Force, the journey from recruitment to operational competence is neither short nor inexpensive.

Reports indicate that personnel assigned to highly specialised appointments often require three to four years of training, practical exposure and operational experience before reaching basic independent proficiency.

This means that under the existing four-year contractual model, many Agniveers become fully capable only towards the end of their engagement. Once they complete their tenure, the military loses personnel who have only recently reached operational maturity.

Replacing them requires beginning the same lengthy training process with a completely new recruit. Military planners therefore argue that increasing retention would protect years of institutional investment while reducing the need to repeatedly restart complex training pipelines.

The issue is particularly significant in branches involving advanced military technology, where proficiency depends not only on classroom instruction but also on sustained operational experience.

How have manpower requirements influenced the review?

The service has been working to address a manpower shortage estimated at around 1.8 lakh personnel, a situation that developed following recruitment disruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as subsequent structural transitions.

Recruitment has since accelerated considerably. According to reports, the Army trained approximately 70,000 Agniveers during the last recruitment cycle and plans to increase future intakes to around 90,000 personnel.

However, military planners recognise that recruitment alone does not immediately solve manpower challenges. Fresh recruits require time to complete training before becoming operationally effective.

Retaining a larger proportion of already trained personnel offers a faster method of maintaining force levels while preserving valuable operational experience accumulated over four years of service.

What operational lessons have emerged from the first four years?

Military assessments have reportedly concluded that Agniveers compare favourably with regular soldiers in areas such as physical fitness, motivation, endurance and the ability to absorb new technologies.

Their familiarity with modern digital systems has been viewed as an advantage as the armed forces increasingly integrate drones, surveillance platforms, electronic warfare capabilities and other technology-driven battlefield systems into routine operations.

The Army's own assessment of the programme has also been broadly positive.

In an interview with IANS last week, outgoing Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi said Agniveers are adapting well to modern battlefield systems including drones, surveillance networks, and electronic warfare.

At the same time, he stressed that future refinements should emerge from practical military experience rather than predetermined targets.

He said refinements to the scheme should be guided by operational requirements and field experience rather than predetermined numbers, and that the first batch had not yet completed its full service cycle, making a final assessment premature.

His remarks reflect the broader approach reportedly being adopted during the review — that any changes to retention policy should be based on operational evidence gathered over the first four years of implementation rather than external pressures.

The review has also drawn upon lessons from military exercises and operational experience, including strategic observations associated with Operation Sindoor.

Senior military leadership has reportedly observed that personnel with greater operational exposure often make quicker instinctive decisions and display stronger tactical judgement under extreme battlefield conditions than soldiers with only one or two years of active field experience.

How does unit cohesion remain crucial?

The armed forces have also factored in an element that is difficult to quantify but is widely regarded as fundamental to military effectiveness — unit cohesion.

Within the Army in particular, combat efficiency is not built solely on individual training or physical ability. It is also shaped by the trust, familiarity and teamwork that develop when soldiers serve together over extended periods.

This bond, often described within the military as "paltan" camaraderie, enables personnel to respond instinctively during demanding situations, understand each other's strengths and weaknesses, and function as a coordinated fighting unit.

Military planners believe that a system under which a large majority of trained personnel leave simultaneously every four years could interrupt that continuity.

Although new recruits can be trained to the required professional standards, rebuilding the confidence and understanding that develops within established units takes considerably longer.

Reports indicate that one option under discussion does not necessarily involve applying a higher retention percentage across every military formation. Instead, the services are evaluating whether retention levels should vary depending upon the role performed by individual units.

Under such an arrangement, conventional infantry formations could continue to operate with comparatively lower retention levels, while specialised, elite or technically intensive formations could retain a much larger share of trained Agniveers.

The Army's newly raised Bhairav Battalions have reportedly been identified as one possible example where such a specialised retention model could be particularly relevant.

How does the Agnipath scheme currently function?

Introduced in June 2022, the scheme marked one of the most significant reforms in military recruitment in recent decades. The scheme was introduced with several objectives.

One was to lower the average age profile of India's armed forces by ensuring a steady intake of younger personnel. Before Agnipath was launched, the average age of the armed forces had reportedly risen to around 32 years.

A younger force was viewed as better suited for physically demanding operations while also providing greater flexibility in adapting to evolving technologies and future battlefield requirements.

Another major objective involved reducing long-term pension liabilities. Since only a quarter of every batch would become permanent personnel under the original framework, the government expected substantial savings on pension expenditure over time.

Those savings, in turn, were intended to create additional fiscal space for investment in modern weapons, military equipment, infrastructure and emerging technologies.

Under the existing framework, eligible candidates between the ages of 17.5 and 21 years can apply for recruitment. During the initial recruitment cycle, however, the upper age limit was relaxed to 23 years as a one-time measure to compensate for recruitment delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Successful candidates serve as Agniveers for four years. Their tenure includes approximately six months of rigorous military training followed by active service within their respective branches.

Once the four-year engagement concludes, all Agniveers are discharged. Those wishing to continue their military careers may then compete through a merit-based selection process for enrolment into the regular cadre.

At present, the rules permit the Army, Navy and Air Force to retain up to 25 per cent of each batch. Personnel selected for permanent service continue their military careers for a minimum total service period of 15 years.

They receive the regular pay structure applicable to permanent soldiers, sailors and airmen, with salaries rising alongside promotions and increased responsibilities.

Reports indicate that regular military pay can increase from roughly Rs 40,000 per month to approximately Rs 60,000 per month as rank progresses, together with allowances. Those completing the required years of qualifying service also become eligible for pension benefits.

The remaining 75 per cent transition to civilian life.

They receive the Seva Nidhi package — a tax-exempt lump sum of around Rs 11.71 lakh. The amount is created through equal monthly contributions made by the Agniveer and the Central Government throughout the four-year tenure, along with accumulated interest.

In addition, former Agniveers are eligible for horizontal reservation in recruitment to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Assam Rifles and various state police organisations. Reservation levels generally range between 10 and 20 per cent, depending upon the organisation and applicable recruitment rules.

These measures were incorporated into the scheme to support Agniveers after they complete military service and transition into civilian employment.

What could change if retention rates increase?

A substantial increase in permanent absorption would inevitably alter the financial structure upon which the Agnipath scheme was originally built. The scheme's pension savings depend largely on releasing the majority of every Agniveer batch after four years.

If future retention levels increase to around 50 per cent in some services and as high as 75 per cent in highly technical branches, long-term pension liabilities would gradually begin to rise again.

While this would strengthen continuity and preserve experienced manpower, it would also reduce some of the fiscal savings originally expected from the programme. This has prompted consideration of what many reports describe as a compromise model.

Rather than adopting a single retention percentage for every role, policymakers are reportedly examining whether higher retention should apply primarily to specialised technical branches where training investments are greatest, while general-duty roles continue with comparatively lower retention rates.

Such a framework would move the Agnipath scheme away from a uniform national formula and towards a service-specific and role-specific system reflecting the operational realities of each branch.

What other changes are under consideration?

Reports indicate that the DMA is also examining additional welfare measures intended to strengthen support available to Agniveers and their families.

Among the proposals reportedly under consideration is the provision of lifetime financial support for families of Agniveers who lose their lives while serving on duty.

Another proposal involves providing lifelong medical cover to Agniveers who sustain service-related disabilities.

These measures seek to address some of the most persistent concerns raised regarding the scheme since its introduction and would represent significant enhancements to the existing welfare framework if approved.

Will the proposals become policy before the first batch completes service?

Despite the discussion, no formal amendment has yet been made to the Agnipath scheme. As of now, the position remains unchanged. The existing framework continues to permit the retention of only up to 25 per cent of each Agniveer batch across the three services.

Although reports indicate that the Army, Navy and Air Force broadly agree on the need to retain larger numbers of trained personnel, the proposals remain under review.

For any modification to take legal effect, approval will be required from the government, including the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), before the policy can be formally amended.

Time is becoming an increasingly important factor. The first Agniveer batch is scheduled to complete its tenure in October in less than three months, meaning decisions regarding permanent absorption must be finalised before that process begins.

When Agnipath was announced in 2022, it sparked widespread protests in several parts of the country, particularly across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Many young aspirants who had spent years preparing for military recruitment — an exercise that had itself been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic — expressed concerns that the new system reduced opportunities for long-term government employment and pension benefits.

Reports suggest that increasing retention levels could address one of the principal criticisms raised at the time without fundamentally dismantling the Agnipath framework itself.

So it just may give the win-win situation the Indian Armed Forces and New Delhi are looking to achieve.

With inputs from agencies