How will Agniveer be evaluated for becoming a regular soldier? Deputy Chief of Army Staff told the whole process

Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen BS Raju told News18 that Agniveers joining the Indian Armed Forces through the newly introduced Agneepath Recruitment Scheme will have to wait for 4 years before preparing the final merit list for selection as permanent soldiers. They will be continuously assessed on a number of objective and subjective parameters during the course of the service. In an exclusive interview to News18, Lt Gen BS Raju answers questions on what will be the process to regularize 25% of Agniveers after 4 years of service.

He said, “We understand that at the end of 4 years, every Agniveer will have confidence that he has gone through a transparent process. We have made very specific provisions for testing recruits. It will be an ongoing evaluation.’ Explaining how the Army will ensure that Agniveers as permanent recruits are selected fairly, without bias and unhealthy competition, Lt Gen Raju said, “The training period of 6 months is complete. There will be a first evaluation of each Agniveer after doing so. Then at the end of each year, they will be assessed on the basis of various parameters like their physical fitness, firing skills and other drills.

Lt Gen BS Raju said there will also be some subjective evaluation of the Agniveers on parameters like their attitude and aptitude. The people Agniveer will interact with during his service, such as his Platoon Commander, Company Commander and Commanding Officer, will assess him on the basis of the above criteria. “It will all be put together and at the end of the year, it will be collated and uploaded to the system, after which there will be no human intervention,” the Deputy Chief of Army Staff said. The same process will be followed at the end of 2nd and 3rd year and at the end of 4th year, the whole data will be put together and then merit list will be prepared. This will also give us confidence that we are selecting the best soldiers.

Lt Gen Raju said that an Agniveer would be mentored and given a performance appraisal during his training period. The whole idea is of continuous evaluation. This process of evaluation will be completed in different phases during Agniveer’s service period, with different weightings for the training period and subsequent years, he said. When asked about the induction of women soldiers as Agniveers in the Army, he said that the women recruits would join the Army’s Military Police Corps (CMP) through the Agneepath scheme. Like other recruitments, the recruitment of women in CMP is stuck for 2 years after the initial batch.

Is 4 years training period enough for Agniveers?
Talking about the training of Agniveers as soldiers, Lt Gen Raju said that 4 years is a long time for their training. He said that the Agniveers would be given 6 months of intensive training. Then based on the requirements, the Battalion Commander will arrange training for each Agniveer to develop different skill sets. They will be trained enough to meet the operational requirement of the battalion and we can go to war with them tomorrow. Lt Gen Raju said that for an advanced course, like an Agniveer to become an instructor, one can become more skilled after 4 years. There will be upskilling of Agniveers during 4 years, but special training will be given after 4 years to become trainers.

‘The scheme is being launched in a controlled manner’
Lt Gen Raju said the manner in which the Agneepath project is being taken up is in a very controlled manner and that is why it can be considered as a pilot project. We will also get time to assess it better and make changes if required. There is no immediate need for any change, but later if some changes are required, it can be done. He emphasized that there exists a provision for the Defense Minister to demand any further changes in the plan.

On the expenditure incurred for the implementation of ‘Agneepath Scheme’
After the announcement of the Agneepath scheme, despite strong opposition from the youth, Lt Gen Raju said there was no doubt that people would come in large numbers to join the armed forces as usual. He said that the reaction of the youth about this entire program will be positive. Talking about the expenditure and savings to be incurred on the implementation of the scheme, he said that instead it gave priority to issues like management of human capital and changes required to achieve young age profile, parameters of selection and training system, and other such issues. Has been. He said that no immediate revenue expenditure will be made under this scheme, as the training capacity of the army is more than the recruited strength. “There may be a need to increase the training capacity after the sixth or seventh year, and based on the assessment of the situation, the infrastructure can be increased,” he said.

On reducing manpower in the army
Lt Gen Raju said that the army will meet the shortage of manpower through this scheme. “There was no recruitment in the last two years and there was some reduction in the numbers,” he said. Now, we are recruiting a specific number with an exit policy. This will have some impact on the overall strength, but as we move forward, we will increase the numbers so that the strength of the army remains at the desired level.

Agniveer on skill certificate
The senior army officer said that for those joining the force with a diploma, the additional skill qualification acquired during the program would make them eligible for the degree course. He said that Agniveer would collect credit points during his tenure in the Army, which could later be redeemed for completing graduation within lesser years. When asked how the army would convince an Indian rural youth to join the force without the guarantee of a permanent job and pension? He said that this scheme has been prepared to give opportunity to the youth to join the armed forces for 4 years. Enjoy the rigors of serving in the youth army and serving the nation. “Agniveer will be financially compensated during the tenure, will receive a lump sum amount from the service fund package at the end of his tenure, and there will be a plethora of career options available to him,” he said.