Agnipath Recruitment

Before Agnipath, the Army recruited through rallies, the Air Force through rallies and online tests, and the Navy through online examinations. In 2021-22 the Army's recruitment process could not be completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Navy and Air Force recruitment for 2020 and 2021 was affected. On 14 June 2022 the Union Cabinet approved the Agnipath scheme, which came into immediate effect for enrolment in all three Services, and on 17 June 2022 the Government raised the upper age limit to 23 years as a one-time waiver for the 2022 cycle. A Lok Sabha reply of 16 December 2022 said recruitment had recommenced as Agniveers for 40,000 vacancies in the Army and 3,000 each in the Navy and the Air Force in 2022.

The first Agniveers completed their training in 2023. On 28 March 2023, 2,585 Navy Agniveers, including 272 women, passed out of INS Chilka after 16 weeks of training; the Ministry of Defence describes the Navy as the first Service to use Agnipath to induct women. On 2 December 2023, the first 153 women Agniveervayu passed out at Airmen Training School Belagavi. In December 2023 the Ministry said the Army's first two batches of 40,000 had completed training and were being posted to units, and the Air Force's first batch of 2,888 Agniveervayu had completed specialised training.

Agniveers are enrolled under their Service Acts for four years and form a distinct rank. They receive a monthly package of ₹30,000 in the first year, rising to ₹40,000 in the fourth; 30% goes to the Agniveer Corpus Fund, and the Government adds an equal amount, ₹5.02 lakh each over four years. On exit they receive a Seva Nidhi package, shown as ₹11.71 lakh in the 2022 release and exempt from income tax, but no gratuity or pension; while serving they have ₹48 lakh of life insurance cover. After four years they may apply for permanent enrolment, and up to 25% of each batch is selected centrally on objective criteria including performance during the engagement.

The Home Ministry told the Lok Sabha on 21 July 2026 that the first batch of Agniveers had not yet completed its term of engagement. In June 2022 it had announced a 10% reservation of CAPF and Assam Rifles vacancies for Agniveers, and in August 2024 it said the recruitment rules of all forces had been amended. By July 2026 it described a separate Ex-Agniveer category in Constable (GD)/Rifleman recruitment with 50% of vacancies reserved, a 3-year upper age relaxation (5 years for the first batch) and exemption from physical tests and the written examination. The Ministry of Defence approved 10% of vacancies in the Coast Guard, defence civilian posts and 16 DPSUs in June 2022, and since 16 June 2025 the Home Ministry has coordinated the further progress of ex-Agniveers.

46,000 Agniveers to be recruited in 2022: 40,000 Army, 3,000 Navy and 3,000 Air Force vacancies. Up to 25% of each batch can join the regular cadre. 2,585 Navy Agniveers, including 272 women, in the first passing-out parade (28 Mar 2023). 1,321 women Agniveers in the Navy (Dec 2024). 50% of CAPF and Assam Rifles constable vacancies reserved for ex-Agniveers (Jul 2026). Sources: Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Home Affairs via PIB; Lok Sabha replies.