Union Government brought in the Agniveer Scheme without discussing it with the Army

Former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane’s book states

(‘Agniveer’ is a new policy for enrolment into the three wings of the Armed Forces) 

(Credits: Twitter)

New Delhi – “When I had first sounded out the PM about the Tour of Duty scheme, it was more on the lines of a short-service option at the soldier level, similar to the Short Service Commission scheme for officers that was already in vogue. Just as a limited number of SSC officers are taken each year, likewise a limited number of jawans would be similarly enrolled and released after the completion of their ‘tour’ with the option of re-enlisting for another tour, if found to be fit,” he writes. However, he writes, the prime minister’s office was considering this proposal, but with a much wider scope and applicability. “In the PMO formulation, not only should the complete intake of the year be short-service based, but it would also apply to all three services.”

In what has come as a surprise to many, former chief of Army staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane said “We in the army were taken by surprise by this turn of event but for the navy and air force, it came like a bolt from the blue. He said that neither of the three services – Indian Army, Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force – were consulted before the government rolled out the Agnipath recruitment scheme to induct personnel below officer rank in the armed forces.

Chief of Army General Manoj Mukund Naravane in his memoir ‘Four Stars of Destiny’made the above claims. Naravane was the Army Chief between the period 31st December 2019 to 30th April 2022.

In the book Naravane has said that the Army had recommended retaining 75% in the Army. But when the ‘Agniveer’ Scheme was announced in June 2022 the decision was that only 25% would be retained for the 15 years of service after the completion of the ‘Agniveer’ contract.

Congress criticises the Government

Congress leader Jayram Ramesh has tweeted that the ‘Agniveer’ Scheme was a destructive scheme which was implemented without discussion, and this is claimed by Naravane.