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The Ministry of Defence will announce on Tuesday the Tour of Duty scheme, a new system of four-year contractual recruitment of personnel below officers’ rank in armed forces.
Post announcement, as per a strategy worked out by Ministry sources, senior officers from the tri-services of Army, Air Force and Navy will give reactions from their respective stations to explain and build a narrative around positives of ‘Agniveers’ — the acronym given to the contractual personnel — and the scheme would be termed ‘Agnipath’.
Only 25 per cent of the recruits would be retained on the basis of a defined parameter of the scheme, which is aimed at resolving the issue of shortages of personnel in short term, and also reduce the burden of pay rises and pensions on public exchequer.
A soldier is expected to draw a starting salary of ₹30,000 which may go up to ₹40,000, besides medical and other facilities. A candidate between the age of 17 years to 21 years will be eligible for the recruitment and will undergo six months of training before joining the forces. The Agniveers will be spread across units of the three services.
After completion of four years, a soldier will get ₹10 lakh as the minimum severance package, also ex-servicemen contributory health scheme, which an army officer described as a “reasonably attractive package”. They would get re-employment privileges in central armed police forces and by other government agencies, which ministry sources believe is another attraction to draw youth to this scheme.
The government, on the other hand, will be able to save on investment per soldier, believes the the ministry.
“Prospective life-term saving in the cost of engagement of a single jawan who leaves after 17 years of service with pension and other benefits, as compared to a Agniveer will be ₹11.5 crore,” explained a ministry officer.
Other than that, the scheme will allow better understanding of complex military issues by youth which will enhance the civil military coordination in long term and create a nationalist feeling among youngsters, argued army sources.
Like in Ukraine, the well trained manpower will be an asset in modern day Grey Z warfare, which are pivoted around civilian assistance. Therefore, believe ministry sources, the step will help in fighting future wars.
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