The Union government on Thursday increased the upper age limit for recruitment in the armed forces under the Agnipath scheme to 23 years from 21 years in 2022.
EXTENSION OF ENTRY AGE IN AGNIPATH SCHEME:
Consequent to the commencement of the AGNIPATH scheme, the entry age for all new recruits in the Armed Forces has been fixed as 17 ½ – 21 years of age.
— PIB India (@PIB_India) June 16, 2022
While announcing the Agnipath scheme on Tuesday, the government had said citizens between the ages of 17-and-a-half and 21 will be eligible to apply for a four-year “Tour of Duty” in the armed forces. Twenty-five per cent of those who complete the Tour of Duty will be eligible to apply as regular personnel.
However, the short-term recruits, or Agniveers, will not be eligible for pension or gratuity benefits and will be given a sum of Rs 11.71 lakh at the end of their service.
The Ministry of Defence on Thursday said that the “one-time waiver” in the age limit has been given as there has been no recruitment in the services in the last two years, PTI reported.
The move comes amidst violent protests against the recruitment scheme in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
While some protestors sought the reinstatement of the old method of…
