New Delhi, March 10
As promised at the time of launch of Agnipath scheme, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has notified the provision of 10 per cent reservation for former Agniveers in vacancies in the Border Security Force (BSF) with relaxations in the upper age limit.
The MHA has issued a notification in this regard after amending the Border Security Force, General Duty Cadre (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment Rules, 2015, and this had been made effective from March 9, officials said.
Age relaxation too
- Age limit to be relaxed up to 5 yrs for 1st batch of ex-Agniveers
- It will be relaxed up to 3 years for the subsequent batches
- Ex-Agniveers will also be exempted from physical efficiency test
In the notification, the MHA said while the upper age limit would be relaxed up to five years for candidates of the first batch of ex-Agniveers, subsequently it would be relaxed up to three years.
Former Agniveers would also be exempted from physical efficiency test, it said.
On June 14 last year, the government had unveiled the Agnipath scheme for recruitment of youths aged between 17.5 and 21 years in the Army, Navy and the Air Force, largely on a four-year short-term contractual basis. Those recruited under the scheme would be known as Agniveers.
After the completion of the four-year tenure, 25 per cent of the recruits from each batch would be offered regular service and the rest would be relieved with a substantial amount as ‘seva nidhi’.
At that time of the scheme’s announcement, the MHA had announced that 10 per cent vacancies in central paramilitary forces and the Assam Rifles would be reserved for those 75 per cent Agniveers who would be relieved after four years.
It had also announced that the upper age limit was relaxed for the first batch of ex-Agniveers by up to five years and for the subsequent batches for three years. In addition, the ex-Agniveers would be exempted from the physical proficiency test, the MHA had said.
The specified age limit for recruitment to paramilitary forces is 18-23 years. For those who join the armed forces even at the upper age limit of 21 years under the Agnipath scheme, they can be recruited with the BSF till the age of 30 years after the four years of service in the Army, Air Force or the Navy in case of the first batch and till 28 years for the subsequent batches.
The MHA decision for absorption of Agniveers into paramilitary forces is significant as it will help the ex-Agniveers get employment opportunities till their age of superannuation. The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) would also be benefitted as they would get a trained pool of personnel to fill over 70,000 vacancies.