Key Terms & Concepts — UPSC Mains
Agnipath Scheme
"A short-tenure recruitment model for the armed forces under which soldiers, called Agniveers, serve for four years."
Agnipath is a recruitment scheme launched in 2022 for enrolling soldiers, sailors and airmen (below officer rank) into the three armed forces for a four-year term. Recruits are called Agniveers, and around a quarter of each batch are retained for regular service after four years while the rest exit with a lump-sum Seva Nidhi package. The scheme aims to lower the average age of the forces, cut long-term pension liabilities and create a pool of disciplined, trained youth.
GS3 (defence, security, human resource in armed forces). Prelims tests the four-year tenure, the Agniveer term and the 2022 launch. Mains debates operational readiness, retention and welfare. Anchor: with the first Agniveer batch completing four years in October 2026, the Department of Military Affairs was reviewing proposals to raise retention well above the current 25 percent, informed by the deployment of Agniveers during Operation Sindoor.
- 1 Launched in 2022 for four-year enrolment below officer rank
- 2 Recruits are called Agniveers across the Army, Navy and Air Force
- 3 About 25 percent retained for regular service after four years
- 4 Exiting Agniveers receive a Seva Nidhi lump-sum package
- 5 Aims to lower average age and reduce pension liabilities
- 6 First batch completes its four-year term in October 2026
As the first Agniveers neared the end of their term in October 2026, the armed forces pressed for higher retention, with the Navy seeking to keep up to 75 percent of recruits in technical roles.
