Leaders Online Desk : Agniveer Scheme : The Agniveer scheme has been in the news ever since its implementation. After the Lok Sabha elections, this army recruitment scheme is once again in discussion. It is learned that some changes in the Agniveer Yojana are being discussed. The changes also include a rule to retain 25 percent of soldiers by extending the training period of Agnivir. The suggestions are based on an internal survey conducted by the Army, in which feedback was sought from all three forces. However, the Army has not yet officially sent these recommendations to the Center and the security forces are still discussing the same.
60 to 70 percent fire fighters should be retained
According to a report, the biggest issue in the ongoing discussion in the Army is to retain the Agniveer soldier. Currently, only 25 percent fire fighters are retained in the army. However, it is understood that it has been recommended that this limit should be increased to 60 to 70 percent. It is also said that it should be 75 percent by including technical and expert soldiers along with special forces.
It has been one and a half years since the implementation of Agniveer Yojana and this scheme is being reviewed in these one and a half years. According to sources, the DMA i.e. Department of Military Affairs has sought a report from all the three armies. According to sources, there is talk of extending the tenure by four years, recruiting more and raising the retention limit of 25 per cent fire fighters. Apart from this, discussions are also going on to provide financial assistance to the family if a firefighter dies or is injured during training or while on duty.
Not only this, the difference between the leave given to regular army personnel and fire fighters is also likely to be changed. For example, a regular army jawan gets 90 days leave in a year, while an Agniveer jawan gets only 30 days leave in a year. There is still two and a half years for the release of the first batch of Agniveers, so if any changes are to be made, they should be done before the release of the first batch so that the first batch of Agniveers can benefit from it, it is also being reviewed.
If there is a change, relief to Gorkha soldiers
Since this scheme came into existence, not a single recruitment fair has been organized in Nepal. Almost two and a half years during the Corona period and almost one and a half years since the implementation of the Agniveer Yojana, i.e. for the last four years, Nepali Gurkha soldiers have not been recruited into the Indian Army. According to an Indian Army officer, before independence about 90 percent of the Gorkha soldiers in the Gorkha regiment were from Nepal and 10 percent were Indian Gorkhas. Later this percentage was increased to 80:20. Later this was changed and this percentage was increased to 60:40. Accordingly, 60 percent Gorkhas of Nepalese origin and 40 percent of Indian origin Gorkhas get a place in the regiment.