AGNIVEERS UNDER TRAINING FOR INDUCTION CREASES STILL NEED TO BE IRONED OUT

Agnipath, the new recruitment scheme for armed forces had more than 5.4 million candidates registered for the 46,000 jobs in the three services in the first phase (40,000 in the army and 3,000 each in the Indian Air Force and navy). The first batch of Agniveers of all three services are currently undergoing training and are likely to be inducted in their respective services by Mid of this year. Prime Minister Modi while addressing the first batch of Agniveers described the Agnipath scheme as a “transformative policy” that would be a “game changer” in strengthening the military and making it ready for future challenges, while stressing that Agniveers will make the armed forces “more youthful and techsavvy”. The Army has already commenced process for the second phase of recruitment of Agniveers. To ensure focus on cognitive aspects, have a wider reach in the country and for ease of conduct by managing the crowd art recruitment rallies the second phase will commence with online common entrance exam (CEE) before holding the recruitment rallies for the physical tests and medical exams. Creases still need to be iron out: The first batch of Agniveers is under training and is likely to be inducted operationally by mid of 2023. The scheme has been debated and contested by many experts and stakeholders and there are still many creases that need to be ironed out to make the scheme, better, effective.

Training of Agniveers: The training of Agniveers has commenced in January this year. To ensure optimum utilisation of the four-year tenure of the Agniveers, the Army has evolved a 31-week training programme to include 10 weeks of Basic Military Training (BMT) and 21 weeks of Advanced Military Training (AMT), which is arm/service and trade specific. Though the training schedule for Agniveers has been kept slightly more than earlier declared 6 months but still it is much less than the existing training norms and this is likely to impinge upon operational readiness of forces to some extent unless properly addressed by high quality training. The diverse subjects to be covered and basic operational skill development will need either more time or intense training which has its side effects of stress and fatigue. Today, literacy levels have gone up and the level of technological awareness is high, and the training centres have been geared up with latest training tools so, a truncated, scientificallydesigned training tenure may work but it has to be followed by ‘on the job training’ in the units.

Impact on operations based on inadequately trained and short tenure-based soldiers: Agniveers if trained inadequately may end up becoming a liability in intense operational environment. But the positive side is that they are better educationally qualified, mentally and physically agile and adaptive and are likely to operate in intensively weapon, artificial intelligence and techno centric operational environment with reduced scope for physical contact battles. The second aspect is availability of Agniveers to units for a shorter duration for operations (comes to effectively Three Years only) and this presents another challenge to the Commanding Officers and Team to motivate them and take the best possible output. Though as seen in past even new recruits have proved their mettle and worth in battles especially counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations. The motivation, integration as a team and faith in ‘Naam Namak and Nishan’ will be the crucial factors for operational effectiveness of Agniveers, bigger challenges are likely to be faced by field commanders and junior leaders in the units.

Impact on regimentation and unit bonding: Fundamentally Indian Armed Forces work on the Principles of Cohesion, espirit-de-corps and the Team work. Regimentation and Unit bonding have traditionally been considered as essential battle winning factors and impact on these can only be ascertained once the Agniveers are posted to units and tested in field conditions. The longer association amongst soldiers create stronger bondages and armed forces unit commanders will have to work harder to take care of this aspect as regards to Agniveers.

Job Insecurity - Resettlement of Non-Retained Agniveers: While a comprehensive policy on detailed criteria to rate the performance of its Agniveers based on parameters including operational aptitude, weapon proficiency, physical fitness and tests to evaluate other soldierly skills for retention after 4 years was announced by govt in Jan 2023, but major issue still remains about resettlement or appropriate utilisation of balance 75% of disciplined and skilled Agniveers who will be left out find new jobs for their living. Some govt departments and corporate world have announced priority or reservation in jobs for them, but the govt needs to come up with a comprehensive resettlement policy for Agniveers.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

ABOUT AGNIPATH

• l Agnipath had over 5.4 million candidates for the 46,000 jobs in the three services in the first phase (40,000 in the army and 3,000 each in the Indian Air Force and navy)
• l The first batch of Agniveers of all three services are currently undergoing training and are likely to be inducted in their respective services by Mid of this year.
• l Prime Minister Modi while addressing the first batch of Agniveers described the Agnipath scheme as a “transformative policy” that would be a “game changer”
• l To ensure optimum utilisation of the four-year tenure of the Agniveers, the Army has evolved a 31-week training programme to include 10 weeks of BMT and 21 weeks of AMT

The motivation, integration as a team and faith in ‘Naam Namak and Nishan’ will be the crucial factors for operational effectiveness of Agniveers, bigger challenges are likely to be faced by field commanders and junior leaders in the units

COL RAJESH BHUKAR The author is a Post Graduate in International Studies, Alumni of Defense Services Staff College, Wellington and College of Combat, Mhow [email protected]