Over 18,000 First-Batch Agniveers To Exit Armed Forces By December 31

More than 18,000 Agniveers from the first batch are set to leave the armed forces by December 31 after completing their four-year tenure under the Agnipath scheme, shifting attention to the second-career opportunities available to them.

The three services will begin releasing 75% of Agniveers from that first batch in phases from mid-November. The navy will start first, followed by the air force and then the army, the officials said.

The move affects the first set of recruits hired under a system that keeps only one-fourth of Agniveers in regular service after four years. It also puts the focus on second-career pathways for those leaving service at a young age.

Scheme And Scale

Agnipath was introduced in 2022 to keep the armed forces young and combat-ready. Under the model, soldiers are recruited for four years, and only 25% are retained for another 15 years in regular service.

The scheme has remained a political flashpoint since it reduced the tenure of personnel below officer rank and offered fewer service benefits than the older recruitment system. The National Democratic Alliance government replaced the decades-old model when it announced Agnipath in June 2022.

The first round brought in 24,400 recruits across the three services. Of these, around 18,300—three-fourths of the batch—are set to leave. The first batch included about 19,000 Agniveers in the army, 2,850 in the Indian Air Force and 2,550 in the navy, according to official data cited in the report.

Resettlement And Pathways

The next test is resettlement. Officials expect the coming months to show whether the government can absorb Agniveers aged roughly 21 and a half to 25 into second careers.

Those leaving will be eligible for job quotas in the Central Armed Police Forces, state police, Indian Railways, the Coast Guard and 16 defence public sector undertakings, among other organisations. The government has already announced that former Agniveers will fill half of the entry-level posts in the BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and Assam Rifles.

That shift needs retraining. Ahead of the first release, CAPFs were asked to develop training modules on internal security and law-and-order duties because Agniveers are trained mainly for warfare. Haryana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have also announced job opportunities for Agniveers in their police forces.

Performance And Benefits

The three services are satisfied with their performance. Officials cited in the report said Agniveers have worked well across roles and added that the scheme could be adjusted later to retain more recruits with specialised skills.

Their numbers are already large. The army currently has around 270,000 Agniveers, the Indian Air Force around 27,000 and the navy roughly 21,000. Officials also pointed to Operation Sindoor last year, when Agniveers saw conflict for the first time during the military confrontation with Pakistan. Their performance reflected courage, resilience and composure and helped ease doubts around the scheme.

The difference with the old system remains sharp. Soldiers recruited earlier served for about 20 years and retired in their late 30s with a pension and benefits such as health care and canteen facilities, which Agniveers are not entitled to after four years. The army assesses Agniveers on operational aptitude, weapon proficiency, physical fitness and other soldierly skills, with gallantry awardees getting an edge. Agniveers earn ₹4.76 lakh in the first year and ₹6.92 lakh in the fourth, receive ₹48 lakh insurance cover and ₹44 lakh ex-gratia for death attributable to service. Those leaving now will get ₹11.71 lakh as the Seva Nidhi package, including ₹5.02 lakh contributed by them during service.