Agnipath scheme recruitment process: Army, Indian Air Force announce dates, check details here

New Delhi: The Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) announced the dates for the commencement of recruitment process under the Centre’s Agnipath scheme. The Agnipath scheme aims to recruit soldiers in the Army, Navy and the Air Force mainly on a four-year short-term contractual basis. While the Army will officially begin the enrolment process within two days by releasing a notification, the IAF will start the recruitment from June 24, PTI reported. As per the news agency, the senior officials said after the initial notification is issued, various agencies and establishments of the Army will in due course publish the details of the induction process including the number of vacancies, location of recruitment rallies and exam schedule. 

Moreover, the Army aims to start the training of new recruits, called Agniveers, by December, the officials added. They also plan to deploy the initial batches of recruits in operational and non-operational roles by June next year under the Agnipath Yojana. 

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Welcoming the Central government’s decision to raise the upper age limit this year from 21 to 23 years under the Agnipath scheme, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said this will open an opportunity for the youths preparing to join the armed force but could not due to Covid-19 in the past two years. 

Announcing IAF’s schedule for the Agnipath recruitment 2022, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said, "The government has recently come out with the 'Agnipath' scheme for enrolment in the armed forces. The age bracket for the scheme is 17-and-half-years to 21 years. I am pleased to inform that the upper age limit for the first induction has been increased to 23 years."

"This change would permit a larger section of the youth to enrol Agniveer. The selection process for the Air Force will start from Jun 24," he added. 

Meanwhile, protestors have hit the streets across the country against the Agnipath scheme, with several states witnessing violence. One person was killed and several injured in police firing as demonstrators set a train on fire in Hyderabad’s Secunderabad railway station today. So far, more than 200 trains have been affected due to the protests against the Agnipath scheme, the Railways said today. Protestors are demanding the government withdraw the Agnipath recruitment scheme. 

(With agency inputs)