Thousands of Indian soldiers who would otherwise leave the military after four years will be kept on duty, in a major rethink of the country’s controversial recruitment model as New Delhi grapples with persistent manpower shortages and security concerns along its borders with China and Pakistan, analysts say.
Under revisions approved by the federal cabinet last Tuesday, more than 18,000 recruits from the inaugural batch of the Agnipath (“Path of Fire”) scheme will be granted a two-year service extension. The decision applies to the 75 per cent of recruits who were set to exit at the end of their four-year contracts, offering them an extended pathway to compete for permanent military careers.
The move marks a notable shift from the programme launched in 2022, which originally aimed to create a younger, leaner fighting force and curb a ballooning pension bill by restricting permanent absorption to just 25 per cent of recruits, known as Agniveers.