The Centre’s decision to give Agniveers a second two-year engagement has been welcomed by many retired officers. Others have questioned why it came now and what it leaves unresolved. The result is a divided response, with most of the support coming from senior officers and some doubt from those who say the original design is still the problem.
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi (retd), the former Chief of the Naval Staff, called it a “Diwali gift” and a win-win, ANI reported. He said that the forces keep trained manpower for two more years, and that Agniveers facing the end of their tenure get relief from anxiety about the future. Tripathi was Navy Chief of Personnel in 2022, when the scheme began.
Rear Admiral Gurinder Singh Jawanda (retd) told ANI he was “thrilled to bits”. He said he sees a more structured system, not an extension, with more chances for those who miss the first selection. Major Mohammed Ali Shah (retd) said periodic reviews had been planned from the start. Major General Shammi Sabharwal (retd) said keeping Agniveers, who are mostly 21 or 22 when they finish four years, would help unit efficiency. Major General GD Bakshi (retd) said the decision would improve welfare and morale, according to The News Mill. Lt Gen Dushyant Singh, director general of the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, said it would benefit national security and operational preparedness.
Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia (retd), a former Director General of Military Operations and once an ardent critic of the scheme, told The Tribune he is elated.
Where doubt creeps in
Admiral Arun Prakash (retd), also a former Navy chief, welcomed the step but not the scheme behind it. The Tribune reported that he called the scheme devoid of logic and damaging to combat readiness, and said the extension creates a separate class of soldiers. The paper described the Cabinet move as a course correction that concedes flaws in Agnipath.
Lt Col Amardeep Tyagi (retd) went further on motive. In a State Mirror interview, he questioned the extension and the permanent-job policy, and whether they are tied to elections or tension on the China border.
Politics enters the debate
The criticism sharpened outside the veteran community. Congress leader Pawan Khera called the government a “U-turn government”, while NCP-SP’s Clyde Crasto called the move an election gimmick, as ANI reported. Crasto asked what happens to Agniveers who finished four years and are now in other jobs. The News Mill reported that NCP-SCP spokesperson Dr Seema Malik criticised the absence of long-term job guarantees.
Questions persist over the long-term prospects of Agniveers who are not eventually selected for regular service. The News Mill reported the same concern. Ex-servicemen bodies raised related worries in 2022. Retired Havaldar Premjit Singh Brar of the Faridkot Ex-Servicemen Welfare Union told The Indian Express then that the terms would put recruits off. He objected to the lack of pension for families if a soldier is killed.