The youth joining the armed forces under the Agnipath scheme will be known as Agniveers.

The young men and women between the age of 17 and a half and 21 years will be eligible for the recruitment after clearing all the levels of tests and will be henceforth known as “Agniveers”. These will be recruited either directly through educational institutions or through recruitment rallies and will serve for a short period of four years and will not get any pension.

For Women

While the Indian Army will pick up the male recruits, according to officials the women will get to be recruited as Agniveers in the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force.

Training

Out of the four year tenure, the first six months of these Agniveers will go in rigorous training regime and the balance 3.5 will be in active service.

According to officials the training for those getting into the Army will be between 10 weeks to up to six months and for the Navy it will be for almost 16 weeks and they will spend two weeks on sea training.

For the IAF, they have to meet all the medical eligibility conditions as laid down for enrolment, which is applicable to respective categories/trades.

Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Naval Command, has told the media persons that the “‘Agniveer’ programme for the Indian Navy will have 16 weeks of basic training. And, two weeks of sea training, and 16 weeks of professional training.”

According to officials as was announced earlier this week, 25 percent of these recruits, if found to be best performers and are driven, will be absorbed by the Armed Forces for a period of 15 years and they will get all the perks of the regular soldier serving in the forces. The balance 75 per cent will be sent back at the end of four years.