NEW DELHI, Nov. 10 -- The latest batches of Agniveers from the Army, Navy and Air Force will complete their training and join their respective services between November 13 and December 31, as the Centre begins implementing a revised Agnipath recruitment framework that offers personnel an additional two years of service and another opportunity for permanent enrolment.
Officials said more than 2,700 Navy Agniveers would complete their 16-week initial training and participate in a passing-out parade at INS Chilka in Odisha on November 13. The Air Force's latest batch is scheduled to complete training in mid-December, while the Army's first batch under the revised framework will pass out on December 31.
More than 600 regular Naviks of the Indian Coast Guard will also complete their training alongside the Navy Agniveers at INS Chilka.
Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan will attend the passing-out parade as the chief guest and reviewing officer. Officials said it would be the largest batch to graduate from the naval training establishment.
The developments follow the Union Cabinet's November 4 decision to introduce a two-year extension for Agniveers who are not selected for regular service after completing their initial four-year engagement.
Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani announced the revised arrangement, which will apply exclusively to approximately three lakh Agniveers currently serving across the three armed forces.
The government is expected to undertake another review of the recruitment framework for personnel inducted after December 31.
Under the original Agnipath scheme, introduced in June 2022, young recruits were enrolled for four years, following which only 25 per cent of each batch could enter regular military service based on merit and organisational requirements.
The remaining 75 per cent were required to leave the armed forces after completing their contractual engagement.
Under the revised arrangement, those not selected for regular service after four years will be offered an additional two-year engagement, extending their tenure to six years.
After completing the extended period, willing Agniveers who meet the prescribed eligibility and selection criteria will be enrolled as regular soldiers.
The changes were announced shortly before the armed forces were scheduled to begin releasing personnel from the first batch recruited under the scheme.
Approximately 18,300 Agniveers were expected to leave the services between mid-November and December 31. They represented three-fourths of the approximately 24,400 personnel inducted during the first recruitment cycle.
The decision has substantially altered the original recruitment framework, under which the majority of Agniveers were expected to leave military service after four years.
Officials said the revised arrangement would allow the armed forces to retain trained and experienced personnel while providing Agniveers with greater employment security and opportunities for long-term military careers.
However, the revised model is expected to increase government expenditure because a larger number of personnel could become eligible for higher salaries, pensions and gratuity benefits.
The financial implications will be examined as part of a broader review of the recruitment framework.
Officials indicated that the additional expenditure could be partially offset by savings in training costs, as retaining existing personnel would reduce the requirement to train replacement recruits.
The government has maintained that financial considerations would not override operational requirements or national security priorities.
The Union Budget for 2026-27 allocated Rs 17,396 crore for the Agnipath scheme across the three services, representing an increase of approximately 58 per cent over the budget estimate of Rs 11,039 crore for 2025-26.
The allocation for the scheme stood at Rs 7,471 crore in 2024-25, reflecting a substantial increase in expenditure over the past two financial years.
The defence pension bill has also continued to rise. The 2026-27 Budget provides Rs 1.71 lakh crore for defence pensions, compared with the budget estimate of Rs 1.60 lakh crore in 2025-26.
The revised Agnipath framework could further influence pension liabilities if a larger proportion of Agniveers eventually enter regular military service.
Under the new arrangement, Agniveers serving the additional two years will receive higher monthly remuneration than during their initial four-year tenure.
The government has fixed monthly pay at Rs 43,500 for the fifth year and Rs 47,500 for the sixth year, compared with Rs 40,000 in the fourth year of the original engagement.
Personnel selected for regular service after four years will retain seniority over those entering the regular ranks after completing the six-year period.
The government has described the revised framework as an effort to balance the requirement for a younger, technologically capable military with the operational advantages of retaining experienced personnel.
The original Agnipath scheme had generated considerable political debate and protests following its introduction in 2022, particularly over short service tenures, limited permanent absorption and the absence of pension benefits for personnel leaving after four years.
The latest changes provide a route towards regular military service for a substantially larger proportion of recruits, subject to individual willingness and the prescribed selection requirements.
With the first batches completing their training under the revised framework in the coming weeks, the armed forces will begin implementing the new arrangements while the government evaluates their longer-term financial and operational implications.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.