DEFENCE Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that his Government is “open to change” in the Agniveer recruitment scheme if necessary. Speaking at a summit, the Union Minister also said that the Government has ensured that the future of the Agniveers is secure. Asserting that youthfulness is necessary in the defence forces, Singh also defended the scheme, and said, “Sena mein youthfulness honi chahiye. The youth, I feel, are more enthusiastic. They are more tech-savvy. We have taken proper care that their future is also secure. We will also make changes if there is a need.”

 

The recruits named Agniveers serve for a tenure of four years that includes training for six months followed by 3.5 years of deployment. After retirement from the service, they will have the opportunity to apply to continue in the Armed Forces. As announced, the ‘Agnipath’ or ‘Agniveer’ scheme is a process for recruiting soldiers in the Army, Navy and Air Force to be hired for a term of four years on contract.