Training of first Agniveers will begin in Dec 2022, active service to commence in middle of 2023: Army chief General Manoj Pande

Training of first Agniveers will begin in December 2022, and the active service will commence in the middle of 2023, said Indian Army Chief General, Mr. Manoj Pande, as part of the Agnipath Scheme.

The Army's recruitment was halted for more than two years due to COVID-19. The Army last recruited jawans in 2019-2020, and there have been no recruits since then. The Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, on the other hand, have both recruited in the last two years.

The Centre has decided to change the upper age limit for recruiting Agniveers in response to the opposition's criticism of the new military recruitment scheme. The upper age restriction for recruitment under the Agnipath Scheme has been extended to 23 years from 21.

The Agniveer Scheme is expected to reduce the average age profile of the Indian Armed Forces by around 4-5 years.

The nation immensely benefits from the infusion of highly inspired youth with a deeper understanding of self-discipline, diligence and focus, who would be adequately skilled and be able to contribute to other sectors.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.