Thursday, 16 June 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Golden Key Division, Major General GS Choudhary said that the armed forces would see an increased operational efficiency when the Agnipath policy is fully implemented. Addressing the media here on Wednesday, he said that the Agniveers who join the programme after matriculation would be given a certification equivalent to senior secondary. He also said that credits and possibly a diploma would be awarded to those who enter the programme after passing their senior secondary examination. Referring to the notification by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs that priority would be given to Agniveers who have completed four years under this scheme for recruitment into CAPFs and Assam Rifles, the Major General added that similar efforts are being made to enhance the job prospects of the Agniveers in consultation with other union ministries, Defence Public Sector Undertakings and private entities. The GOC said that the armed forces are already undertaking awareness campaigns to popularise the scheme even in the remotest parts of the nation. He added that a part of the recruitment examination would be made online so that a maximum number of youth can apply for these positions. He further said that the forces are in talks with Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) for matching the technical needs of the armed forces with the skill set of our youth. Choudhary said that a fair and transparent screening process has been put in place to absorb the Agniveers into the armed forces after four years. He added that the Agnipath scheme has been designed to enable a youthful profile of the armed forces. It will be a unique opportunity for the youth to serve the country and contribute to nation building. It is envisaged that the average age profile of the Indian armed forces would come down by about four to five years with the implementation of this scheme. He further said that the intake from this scheme would be such that there is no deficit of personnel in the armed forces. This policy is a transformative step and a major human resource policy reform for the defence forces, he said, adding that this policy would have a long-term positive impact on the operational efficiency and battle worthiness of the armed forces.
