Home, Defence ministries announce 10 per cent quotas for Agniveers in addition to existing quotas

Taking yet another step to quell the growing anger among Armed Forces aspirants against the new Agnipath recruitment policy, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday announced that there will be a ten per cent quota in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Assam Rifles across the country for the Agniveers.

As the protests continued for the fourth day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with the chiefs of the three services Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari.

There was no official statement about the meeting. Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry also announced 10 per cent reservation in jobs in the ministry and in the Defence Public Sector Undertakings for Agniveers.

Shah announced on Twitter that the Home Ministry "decides to reserve 10% vacancies for recruitment in CAPFs and Assam Rifles for Agniveers."

He also said that the ministry has decided to "give 3 years age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit to Agniveers for recruitment in CAPFs & Assam Rifles."

In line with the one-time age relaxation of two years announced by the Defence Ministry for this year, allowing people up to the age of 23 years to be eligible under the Agnipath scheme, Shah also said that "for the first batch of Agniveer, the age relaxation will be for 5 years beyond the prescribed upper age limit."

Sources said that this ten per cent reservation will be in addition to the ten per cent quota that already exists in CAPF for ex-servicemen.

At the moment, the soldiers, sailors and airmen can join the CAPF under the quota after completion of their service.