Operational requirements should guide any refinement in Agnipath Scheme, says Gen Dwivedi
New Delhi: Outgoing Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, in an interview with IANS, has called the Agnipath Scheme a “major human resource reform” aimed at forming a “younger and future-ready Army”.
He emphasised that any improvements to the Agnipath Scheme in the future should be “guided by operational requirements” and field experience rather than by “predetermined numbers.”
The Agnipath Scheme is a short-term recruitment program for the Indian Armed Forces (Army, Navy, and Air Force) that enlists youth aged 17.5 to 21 as “Agniveers” for a four-year tenure. Twenty-five per cent of recruits are retained for permanent service after their term.
Speaking about the short-term recruitment programme, the outgoing Indian Army Chief said, “The Agnipath Scheme is a major human resource reform aimed at creating a younger, fitter, more energetic and future-ready Army. The character of warfare is changing rapidly, and today’s soldier must be physically robust, mentally agile and technologically adept.”
He mentioned that initial feedback from operational units has been “encouraging”.
“Agniveers are adapting well to unit life, training standards and field requirements. Their ability to adapt to modern battlefield systems such as drones, surveillance systems, communication networks and other technology-enabled systems is a positive contribution,” he added.
However, Gen Dwivedi said that at the same time, the scheme is still evolving.
“The first batch has not yet completed its full-service cycle, and therefore any final assessment would be premature. Indian Army is continuously analysing training outcomes, unit integration, operational performance and feedback from commanders across the Army,” he said.
When asked if the Agniveer model needs any changes going forward, Gen Dwivedi said, “Any refinement in future should be guided by operational requirements and field experience rather than predetermined numbers.”
“If future assessments indicate the need for changes, particularly in specialised or technology-intensive domains such as air defence, drones, counter-UAS, signals, surveillance and electronic warfare, the matter can be examined institutionally,” he added..