What is the Agnipath scheme?
The Government of India recently announced the Agnipath scheme, which is a brand new way to hire soldiers for India’s Armed Forces. Each year, the Government will be hiring around 46,000 people between the ages of 17.5 and 21 through Agnipath. These people will be known as Agniveers.
How did people join the Armed Forces before the Agnipath scheme?
Before Agnipath, people who wanted to be soldiers in the Indian Armed Forces took an exam. Those who did well in the exam joined the Armed Forces for fifteen years, the normal service time for a full-time soldier. After fifteen years, they retired from the Armed Forces with lifelong pensions and other benefits.
How is the Agnipath scheme different?
The Agnipath scheme shakes things up by hiring only temporary soldiers for four years. These soldiers receive a regular monthly salary.
After these four years, most Agniveers will have to leave the military and return to regular life. They receive an additional 11.71 lakhs from the Government but no pension or other benefits. Twenty-five percent of the 46,000 Agniveers hired are selected to stay on as full-time soldiers. They serve in the Armed Forces for a full fifteen years and retire with pensions and other benefits.
Why did the Government come up with the Agnipath scheme?
It’s costing the Government a lot of money to keep paying lifelong pensions to full-time soldiers. Each year, the Government has to pay lakhs of crores to retired soldiers. This leaves very little money to upgrade and modernise India’s military.
How have the people responded to the Agnipath scheme?
Many are angry with Agnipath. Huge protests have broken out all over the country against it. Many youths want to join the Armed Forces because it guarantees them employment and lifelong income. Now they have to leave the Armed Forces after just four years and look for jobs. Do you think temporary soldiers are a good or bad idea for the Indian Armed Forces?
