Itanagar, June 16 (Agency) Hailing the Union Government’s new enrollment policy for the Indian Armed Forces, the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, Brig (Retd) Dr BD Mishra on Thursday said that the ‘Agnipath’ scheme is “in the interest of the nation, national security, society and the youth”. “This new recruitment scheme will enhance the fighting ability of the Indian Armed Forces and at the same time, provide a quality, trained and disciplined manpower to the society, when the individuals (Agniveers) leave the Armed Forces. These individuals will be accomplished human resource and find early employment opportunities in various avenues,” Mishra said. As announced by the Ministry of Defence, under the Agnipath scheme, candidates aged between 17-and-a-half years and 21 years will be enrolled in the Armed Forces for a period of four years, including training period. Based on merit and organizational requirement, upto 25 percent Agniveers will be selected as regular cadre after completion of their four-year service duration.
The Governor said that those 75% of people, who discontinue their services in the Armed Forces after four years under ‘Agnipath Scheme’, will be given preference for recruitment in the Central Armed Police Force. “In the State services, they will be preferred over fresh candidates for recruitment in State Police and the Indian Reserve Battalions also,” he said. Stating that “soldiers in the age group of 18 to 24 years will be risk prompt and will be valiant combatants”, the Governor said that most of the gallantry awardees have been within this age group bracket. “This scheme will reduce the medically low category personnel in the armed forces,” said Mishra, who is a former Counter Hijack Force Commander of the National Security Guard (NSG). Further stating that Indian soldiers neither were nor will ever be conscript soldiers as recruitment in the Indian Armed Forces has been always voluntary, the Governor called upon the youth of the State and Nation to avail the benefit of the Agnipath scheme and serve the nation.