Agniveer Update: The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General NS Raja Subramani, has announced a two-year extension to the service tenure of 'Agniveers'. This indicates that the armed forces value their contribution and require them to continue their service. Officials noted that the decision to remain in service will rest entirely with the individual Agniveer.
The move arrives at a time when 75 per cent of the first batch of Agniveers across the three armed services were set to be discharged in phases, starting from mid-November. Following the completion of their four-year tenure, more than 18,300 Agniveers were due to leave the armed forces by December 31.
#WATCH | Delhi: Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani says, "Today is a very significant day for the Indian Defence Forces and for our 'Agniveers'. The Cabinet has created a pathway for all Agniveers to be absorbed into the Indian Defence Forces. As you are aware, the 'Agnipath' scheme was introduced on June 14, 2022. At that time, it was stated that there would be continuous performance evaluation of the Agniveers and that the scheme would be reviewed periodically. The first batch of Agniveers is now nearing the completion of their four-year tenure. Based on the performance evaluations conducted over these four years, we have received very positive feedback regarding their performance. As you know, 25% of the Agniveers are to be enrolled into the regular forces based on merit. Previously, the provision was for 75% of the Agniveers to transition back into society as disciplined and motivated youth. However, under this updated scheme, the remaining 75% of Agniveers will now be offered an additional engagement period of two years. Upon the completion of this two-year period, all those who are willing will be enrolled into the Armed Forces, subject to objective selection criteria. These are the four major aspects of this scheme."
— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2026
Agniveers Get Two Extra Years Under Agnipath Scheme:
Speaking to the media in New Delhi following a cabinet meeting, CDS General Subramani stated that the 'Agnipath Scheme'launched on June 14, 2022, remains in effect and continues unchanged.
He explained that this decision was reached based on a comprehensive internal review, continuous performance monitoring, and positive feedback from the initial batches. As these batches approach the completion of their four-year tenure, the defense forces recommended expanding service opportunities.
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Under the new arrangement, 75 percent of 'Agniveers' who were not part of the initial 25 percent selected based on merit will be granted a two-year extension. Upon completing a total of six years, those who wish to do so will have another opportunity to be fully inducted into the regular armed forces, subject to a defined selection process.
Agniveer: A Long-Running Political Flashpoint
The Agniveer recruitment model, long a political flashpoint because it cuts the tenure of personnel below officer rank and offers them fewer service benefits, was introduced in 2022 to keep the armed forces young and combat-ready.
Under Agniveer, soldiers are recruited for a four-year term, with a provision to retain only 25 per cent of them in regular service for another 15 years.
First Batch by the Numbers
The scheme has been designed such that it can be modified at a later stage to keep some of those Agniveers with specific skills, according to the officials. There are currently about 270,000 Agniveers in the army, around 27,000 in the IAF, and about 21,000 in the navy, the officials said.
The three services have expressed satisfaction with the performance of Agniveers across roles.
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Agnipath was an entirely new scheme for the recruitment of military personnel compared to the long-existing scheme of recruitment that was scrapped by the NDA government in June 2022.
One point to note is that the first batch of Agniveers consisted of 19,000 soldiers in the army, 2,850 in the IAF, and 2,550 in the Navy.