The Modi government announced the shortsighted and illogical ‘Agnipath Scheme’ on June 14, 2022.[i] Many commentators and defense experts panned the scheme as detrimental to the elan, regimental pride, and secular ethos of the Army. 
Two reasons were cited by the government for the introduction of ‘Agnipath’. Firstly, to maintain a young profile of the Forces and secondly, the salaries and pensions had become a huge and rising percentage of Defence budgets. Going back to the year of Agnipath’s announcement, in the February 2022 Budget, the allocation for Defence was Rs. 5.25 lakh crores, of which Rs. 1.2 lakh crores was in pensions.
In contrast, the corresponding figures for 2012-2013 were Rs. 2.38 lakh crores and Rs. 39,000 crores. This shows that, like its most policy decisions, the government lacked the vision to foresee the economic consequences of the OROP which in any case has not been fulfilled as per the definition of the OROP accepted by the Parliamentary High Powered Committee.
Under the Agnipath scheme, youngsters in the age group of 17-and-half years to 21 years are recruited for a four-year period with a provision to retain 25% of them for 15 years. Since only 25% of Agniveers will be absorbed in the regular Army, Navy, and Air Force, what will be the fate of the remaining 75%?
Moreover, it breeds inequality within the armed forces. That’s why Shri Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a rally in Haryana for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, said, “They say there will be two types of martyrs — one normal jawan and an officer who will get pension, martyr status, all facilities and, on the other hand, a person from a poor family who has been named Agniveer. Agniveers will neither get martyr status, no pension, no canteen facility.”
Modi’s shortsighted and politically motivated thinking cannot be allowed to harm the army’s interests and national security. It goes without saying that ways must be found to compensate about 1.5 lakh youth under Agnipath’s impact who completed Army recruitment process.
Reference(s):
[i] https://www.inc.in/congress-sandesh/others/roll-back-agnipath