"1 Lakh Agniveers In Army, They Perform Same Duties": Top Officer

Launched in 2022, Agnipath scheme provides for short-term induction of personnel into the armed forces with an aim to bring down the age profile of the three services.

Agniveers wear the same uniform and perform the same duties, underlined a top Army officer, adding in some areas they are a shade better, countering the opposition charge that the Centre has created two classes of soldiers. #WATCH | On the current status of Agnipath scheme, the number of Agniveers being employed, Lieutenant General Channira Bansi Ponnappa- Adjutant General of the Indian Army, says, "Since June 2022, the scheme was launched and then we had the first batch that was recruited and… pic.twitter.com/okwXzpqycF

Launched in 2022, Agnipath scheme provides for short-term induction of personnel into the armed forces with an aim to bring down the age profile of the three services. Those recruited under the scheme are called Agniveers. The short-term service plan (17.5-21 years) in the armed forces had triggered violent protests in several parts of the country.

"I must say that they're undertaking all the actions, operational and other professional duties, just like any of the other sepoys or the recruits on the ground in the unit. And they have been completely integrated and assimilated into the units. They wear the same uniform. They perform the same duties and they are performing extremely well on the ground. And the feedback - from the units, the commanding officers, and also themselves - is that this is going well. They are performing well," Lieutenant General Channira Bansi Ponnappa, outgoing Adjutant General in the Army, told news agency ANI.