A day after the government unveiled its Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment of soldiers, sailors and airmen as Agniveers in the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, the Union Home Ministry announced that these personnel, upon completion of four years of service under the scheme, will get priority in recruitment for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles. The Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Assam said Agniveers, who exit the armed forces after four years, will be given preference in police recruitment while the Haryana Chief Minister said the state will give them "preference in jobs and other works". The announcements came after concerns were raised on the future of those who would not be retained after their four-year stint in the armed forces. Across the country, Army commanders held briefings to underline that the Agnipath scheme is a "transformational reform", one that will bring paradigm changes in human resource management. Northern sArmy Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, South Western Army Commander Lt General Amardeep Singh Bhinder, Lt General Arvind Walia, Chief of Staff, Southern Command, Lt Gen A Arun, General Officer Commanding, Dakshin Bharat Area, were among those who highlighted benefits of the scheme. 🚨 Limited Time Offer | Express Premium with ad-lite for just Rs 2/ day 👉🏽 Click here to subscribe 🚨 In a Twitter post Wednesday, the office of Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Agnipath scheme is a "visionary and welcome decision" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "a bright future" for the youth of the country. "In this context, today the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to give priority to Agniveers who have completed four years under this scheme in the recruitment of CAPFs and Assam Rifles," HMO India stated. “With this decision of the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, youth trained under the Agnipath scheme will be able to contribute further in the service and security of the country. Detailed planning work has started on this decision,” it stated. Unveiling the scheme Tuesday, the government said it will come into effect immediately and will create "a much more youthful and technically adept war fighting force by ensuring a fine balance between youthful and experienced personnel" in the armed forces. Most soldiers will leave the service in four years. Of the 45,000 to 50,000 recruited annually, only 25 per cent will be allowed to continue for another 15 years under permanent commission. On Wednesday, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the government will give priority to Agniveers in recruitment to police and related services in the state. In a Twitter post, he said, "@UPGovt will give priority to Agniveers in the state police and related services after they serve Maa Bharati. The double-engine government of BJP is dedicated and committed to the upliftment of the youth and to secure their future. Jai Hind." Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "Such jawans, who would have served in the Army under the Agnipath scheme, will be given priority in the Madhya Pradesh Police recruitment." He said the Agnipath scheme will connect the youth with the Army and generate 45,000 jobs. "I heartily thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for starting this scheme. The Indian Army is the pride of the country and countrymen. The jawans are our heroes and role models. The Agnipath scheme will connect youth with the Indian Army and ensure the protection of the country's borders, strengthen its unity and integrity," Chouhan said. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "Agniveers who return after four years of service in the Armed Forces will be given special preference in Assam Police recruitment." Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said, "Haryana government will give preference in jobs and other works to the youth who complete this service." Meanwhile, UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said the commission will "work towards recognition of the skill gained by Agniveers during their four years of service in the armed forces under Agnipath as per the qualification framework of UGC, so that it can be accounted for when Agniveers join in their graduation programme." PTI adds: The Ministry of Education (MoE) will launch a special three-year skill-based bachelor degree programme for such defence personnel which will recognise the skill training received by them during their tenure in the defence establishments, officials said. The degree programme offered by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will be recognised in India and abroad for employment and education. The Army, Navy and Air Force will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IGNOU for implementation of the scheme, the officials said. "The degree programme will recognise in-service training received by Agniveers as credits for graduation and will open up opportunities for them to pursue civilian careers of their choice. Under the programme, 50 per cent of the credits required for a graduate degree will come from skill training - both technical and non-technical, received by the Agniveers," a senior MoE official said. "The remaining 50 per cent credits will come from a basket of courses that cover a wide variety of subjects like languages, Economics, History, Political Science, Public Administration, Sociology, Mathematics, Education, Commerce, Tourism, Vocational Studies, Agriculture, 'Jyotish' and ability enhancement courses on Environmental Studies and English Communication Skills," the official added. The programme is aligned with the norms of University Grants Commission (UGC), the National Credit Framework and National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) as mandated under the new National Education Policy (NEP). The framework of the programme has been duly recognised by concerned regulatory bodies - All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) and UGC. "It also has provisions for multiple exit points - undergraduate certificate on successful completion of first year courses, undergraduate diploma on successful completion of first and second year courses and degree on completion of all the courses in a three-year timeframe," the official said.
