New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs has reserved 50 percent of Group C posts in the Assam Rifles for ex-Agniveers for recruitment each year, according to a gazette notification issued Monday. The reservation for ex-Agniveers, who would not be incorporated into the permanent cadre of the Indian Armed Forces, has been made through an amendment to the rules for recruitment of Riflemen/Riflewomen of the border guarding force.
“Fifty percent of the vacancies shall be reserved for ex-Agniveers for recruitment to the post of Rifleman/Riflewomen (General Duty) in every recruitment year,” the ministry notification reads.
The ministry explained that ex-Agniveers would be given preference over regular candidates, as they would be recruited under amended rules in the first phase of the force’s recruitment drive. In the second phase, the force would conduct recruitment for the remaining 50 percent vacancies, as well as for those pending from the first phase.
Under the Agnipath scheme launched in 2022, Agniveers are recruited into the Army, Navy, or Air Force for a four-year term, with one-fourth retained for longer service afterwards, and the rest discharged. The Army inducted 46,000 Agniveers from the first batch of 2022.
Further, according to the notification, the first batch of Agniveers, scheduled to retire later this year, will get an age relaxation of up to five years, compared to the 18-23 year eligibility bracket for other candidates. For subsequent batches of Agniveers, the upper age limit relaxation will remain at 23 years. Moreover, ex-Agniveers would also be granted exemption from Physical Efficiency Test, Physical Standard Test and written examination.
The MHA has maintained that existing reservation provisions in the recruitment drive will apply to both phases, which were opened to fill more than 700 vacancies in the force.
This comes days after the ministry issued a similar notification, amending the Central Reserve Police Force’s recruitment rules to incorporate ex-Agniveers. Last week, the MHA announced more than 9,000 vacancies in CRPF.
The ministry had also earlier amended recruitment rules for Sashastra Seema Bal, Central Industrial Security Force and the Border Security Force to enhance reservations for ex-Agniveers.