One-time age waiver for ‘Agnipath’ recruitment shows government cares for our youth: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande said it will provide an opportunity for many youth who were preparing to join the recruitment rallies but were not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amid escalating protests and violence over the ‘Agnipath’ scheme which fundamentally revamped the recruitment of soldiers into the armed forces, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on June 17 said that the one-time waiver, increasing the entry age of recruitment to 23 years for the first cycle, indicates that “the government cares for our youth.”

“The government has announced a one time upper age limit relaxation for the recruitment process through Agnipath scheme for 2022 to 23 years. The relaxation of age indicates that the government cares for our youth. Department of Military Affairs, MoD and Services are committed to commence the recruitment process at the earliest, we invite youth of our country to join Armed Forces and serve the nation through Agnipath,” Mr. Singh said in a message.

Speaking on the one-time age relaxation, Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande said it will provide an opportunity for many youth who were preparing to join the recruitment rallies but were not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Late on Thursday evening, the government announced a decision to grant a one-time waiver, increasing the entry age of recruitment to 23 years, for the recruitment cycle of 2022 given that it was not possible to undertake recruitment during the last two years.

“This decision will provide an opportunity for many of our young, energetic and patriotic youth who, despite the COVID pandemic, were preparing to join the recruitment rallies, which couldn’t be completed in the last two years due COVID restrictions,” Gen. Pande in a message released by the Army, “The schedule of recruitment process will be announced shortly. We call upon our youth to avail this opportunity for joining the Indian Army as Agniveers,” he stated.

On Tuesday, the government announced the “Agnipath” scheme for recruitment of the youth in the armed forces for four years, after approval by the Union Cabinet and the age bracket for new recruits was fixed at 17 ½ - 21 years of age.

The process of recruitment will commence in 90 days and about 46,000 young men and women are to be taken in this year, the government had said with this route becoming the form of recruitment into the three Services from now on.