By Anand Kumar Srivastava
“The soldier is the army. No army is better than its soldiers. The soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship are that of bearing arms for one’s country.” – Field Marshal Cariappa
The government of India introduced a new recruitment scheme for the army in 2022. This scheme is known as “Agniveer” or “Fire-Warrior”. In this scheme, young individuals between the age of seventeen and a half and twenty-one are eligible to join the Indian army for a period of four years. The candidates should have completed class twelve in any stream and should possess robust health. After four years of their duty in the army, seventy-five percent of them will return to civilian life and twenty-five percent will be absorbed into the armed-forces on the basis of their performance in the last four years.
This ambitious scheme has been introduced with several aims and it has been debated and discussed extensively in Parliament and among people in general. We know that in our country there has always been a craze and magnetism for the army in the young generation. Thousands of youngsters dream of having their career in the Indian army and its uniform has always fascinated them. The new scheme will provide them an opportunity to translate their dream into reality and receive adequate experience of army training which brings discipline, physical fitness and passion for their motherland. The scheme is open to, both, boys and girls and they can be employed in the Army, Air Force and Navy.
This scheme does not require vigorous and stringent academic tests. It gives more weightage to physical fitness and does not have a reservation policy. Hence, young individuals are naturally attracted to it. The scheme offers a handsome salary and an attractive package at the end of tenure. In the event of death or disability caused on duty, the government offers handsome compensation. The family receives a Seva Nidhi of Rs 1 crore on the death of an “Agniveer” and Rs 44 lakhs are given if a disability is caused. There is no provision for pensions.
The new recruitment policy has sparked a massive debate. On the one hand, the government is advocating numerous positive points in the interest of the nation and, on the other hand, the opposition parties are outright against it. It is true that almost all such schemes have both negative and positive points when they are introduced. It is also true that such schemes can always be revised for better outcomes after they are introduced and tested.
First of all, this scheme is cost effective as it will drastically reduce the financial burden of the government. At the moment, a big chunk of the military budget in the country goes to the pension and medical care of retired army officers and their families. This burden is increasing as life expectancy is enhanced due to better medical facilities available in recent times. The funds can be utilised to purchase superior and modern weapons and for research, changing the scenario of warfare. Now the army needs the most sophisticated and technologically advanced weapons.
This scheme will reduce the average age of our army from 36 years to 26 years. Now the army will be younger and more agile. In modern times, we don’t require a traditional army. Computer savvy, technologically advanced and highly motivated and disciplined young men are the need of the time.
In many countries every young individual has to obtain a certain amount of military training. This will probably be a boon for our young men as it will instil many qualities like bravery, discipline, a deep sense of commitment for the nation and willingness to accept many challenges in life. These “agniveers” will return to civilian life and merge in our society as role models for youngsters. They can be employed by several national and multinational companies who will get automatically trained individuals. They can also start their own business with the money that is given to them at the end of their tenure. Since they would finish their army life at the age of twenty-three only, they can pursue many academic courses and find another career for themselves. Every employer would prefer to employ an army-trained young man.
Once an individual is equipped with army training and spirit, he is always ready to help or save others at the time of crises. In our day to day life, several situations like floods, landslides, fire and social unrest require such people who are naturally willing and trained to come forward for the rescue of others. The “agniveers” will be assets in real life situations. The governments of different states are offering reservations for “agniveers” in different jobs. Many states have already announced such initiatives and others are contemplating on offering similar incentives.
Some people and politicians have strong reservations, and they don’t appreciate this scheme. The first and foremost argument is that this scheme offers employment for a very short time. It has also stopped the recruitment drive for permanent positions in the army. Moreover, these “agniveers” have very limited training and exposure. Hence, they will not be able to handle grim situations in the event of a war. They are also not capable of handling sophisticated warships and other instruments.
The government is seriously trying to address all these points. It is expected that certain changes will be introduced shortly to make this scheme more effective and purposeful. For example, the government has announced reservations for ex-“Agniveers” in many jobs. They will be getting priority in other forces like CRPF, BSF and police. Many experts are suggesting that the tenure should be extended from four to ten years in order to offer more stability and permanence. The government may also increase their quota in the permanent army. We should understand that this scheme is too new to be perfect. Let us hope that our government will take appropriate measures to overcome such shortcomings. Finally, we should remember that service in army is not only a job; it is a mission and deep sense of commitment.
I conclude with the famous lines of Field Marshal Philip Chetwode, “The safety, honour and welfare of your country come first, always and every time. The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command come next. Your own ease, comfort and safety come last, always and every time,”
