'Agnipath' for young heroes; Bipin Rawat's dream project

NEW DELHI: It was late Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat who paved the way to fulfil the dreams of several youngsters who want to be soldiers for at least a short period of their lives through the 'Agnipath recruitment entry scheme'.

In 2020, he had presented to the government his dream project of recruiting youth into the Army on a three-year contract.

Rawat aimed to make the face of the Indian Army more youthful and reduce military spending through this short-term recruitment.

The Air Force and Navy along with the Army will soon present the outline of the project to the government.

Agniveer

• Those selected for a three-year term of service will be known as 'Agniveer'
• Agniveers who excel in their duties will be retained in the army
• Others will be trained and assisted to enter senior civilian jobs in various corporate houses across the country
• Corporate companies, including Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, have expressed interest.

Expenses will be significantly reduced
According to a report in the Economic Times published in 2020, the Indian Army spends more than Rs 6 crore to train an officer recruited by the Short Service Commission. It costs only Rs 85 lakh to recruit and train an Agniveer. There is no pension for those who have completed three years of service. It is also a fast track project to fill the vacancies in the Indian Army. There are about 1.25 lakh vacancies in the three forces.