The Agnipath scheme changes approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday give the 75 percent of Agniveers who were due to leave after four years the option of two more years in service, followed by a chance to join the Armed Forces as regular soldiers.

The entry route stays as it is. Recruits will still join for four years, and 25 percent of each batch will still move to the regular cadre on merit at the end of that term.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General NS Raja Subramani announced the decision in New Delhi alongside Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. He said the Cabinet had created a pathway for all willing Agniveers to be absorbed into the Armed Forces, subject to selection criteria. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has termed the added period a Second Tour of Duty.

"The Agnipath scheme will not be discontinued. It will continue," General Subramani said.

What are the Agnipath scheme changes?

Until now, an Agniveer had one chance at a regular career. Selection came at the end of the fourth year, and those not picked returned to civilian life with a Seva Nidhi package of around Rs 11.71 lakh.

There are now two chances.

An Agniveer not selected at four years can serve until the sixth year and will then be considered for regular enrolment again. Two conditions apply at that stage. The Agniveer must be willing to stay, and must meet objective selection criteria. Enrolment is not automatic, but a second opportunity now exists, and the Services get to keep a soldier they have already trained.

What prompted the government to act?

The proposal came from the three Services. The scheme began on June 14, 2022, with a provision for periodic review, and the CDS said it was never "set in stone".

A centralised database tracked Agniveers across the Army, Navy and Air Force, with assessments every year against objective parameters, according to General Subramani. As the first batch neared the end of its term, that record went into a full review of the scheme. It brought out strong results on skills, motivation, physical fitness and technological ability, he said. The recommendation for a second engagement followed, and it was under discussion for three to four months before reaching the Cabinet.

The review also recorded wider gains. Agniveers are now coming from more districts, the recruitment process is more standardised and transparent, and several branches of the Armed Forces have opened to women. Interest has reached beyond India too, with young hopefuls and Gorkha veterans rallying in Pokhara in August to seek Agniveer recruitment.

The Agnipath scheme changes also address the question that has followed the scheme since 2022: what happens to the three in every four Agniveers not retained. Keeping them could also reduce the need to train fresh recruits for the same roles.

Does missing the first 25 percent mean an Agniveer fell short?

No, the CDS said. Selection at four years is relative and depends on the needs of the organisation and the vacancies available.

"It's not that they are bad; it's relative," General Subramani said. The extra two years give these personnel time to build experience and sharpen their skills before they are assessed again.

What will Agniveers get in the fifth and sixth years?

Pay goes up. The monthly package reaches Rs 40,000 in the fourth year under the original terms. It will rise to Rs 43,500 in the fifth year and Rs 47,500 in the sixth, plus allowances, according to figures given at the briefing.

The Seva Nidhi improves as well. The Government's contribution for these two years goes up to 70 percent of the monthly package, from around 30 percent. An Agniveer who leaves after six years will receive Rs 10.92 lakh, excluding interest, and the amount will be exempt from income tax.

Those who enter the regular cadre after six years will be placed one rank below those selected at four years, who stay ahead in seniority.

The CDS also spoke of raising qualifications during service, from Class 10 to Class 12 and on to graduation.

What happens to reservations for former Agniveers?

Several States and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) under the Ministry of Home Affairs had set aside vacancies for Agniveers leaving after four years. The Border Security Force raised its quota for constable recruitment to 50 percent last December, and Uttar Pradesh announced 20 percent in its police services.

Those provisions would no longer be required, General Subramani said when asked. Agniveers not retained after six years will not be eligible for these benefits, official sources said, since the regular cadre is now open to all who are willing.

Who benefits first from the decision?

The first batch does. Around 18,300 Agniveers were to leave the Armed Forces by December 31, and they now have the option of staying on. More than 3 lakh Agniveers are serving at present.

Asked whether the four-plus-two model would apply to future intakes, the CDS said the provisions stand as they exist now.

Thanking the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister described the decision as a continuation of long-term structural reforms, and as "a way forward to prepare India's military for the changing character of warfare".

The Navy's first cohort completes its four years on November 21, the Air Force's on December 21 and the Army's on December 31.