The Indian government has made drastic changes in recruitment and curriculum for military personnel in a bid to make the 1.5 million-strong armed forces more youthful and battle-ready.
According to the new scheme named 'Agnipath' (the path of fire), about 45,000 people aged between 17 and 21 will be recruited as soldiers for four years, including six months of training, well less than the current 17-year minimum service period. They will form a distinct rank in the armed forces. The reforms will apply to those signing up below officer rank.
“This is a major defence policy reform introduced by the government to usher in a new era in the human resource policy of the three services. The policy, which comes into immediate effect, will hereafter govern the enrolment for the three services,” the government said in a statement.
India spends around $42 billion on pensions and military salaries, resulting in a shortage of funds for capital acquisition. The three wings of the services have been facing shortages of weapons and equipment, including warships, fighter jets, and other critical weaponry.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the new scheme should not be viewed from the prism of budget savings.
“One should not look at it with suspicions. We have envisaged this scheme to ensure the foolproof national security of this country. This will make our forces youthful,” he stated during a press conference in Delhi.
The minister added that the scheme will increase employment opportunities, and because of the skills and experience acquired during the four-year service, soldiers will be able to gain employment in other fields thereafter.
“This will also lead to the availability of a higher-skilled workforce to the economy, which will be helpful in productivity gain and overall GDP growth,” Singh added.
The forces termed it a “transformative” reform, resulting in “improved battle preparedness through a selection of the best with the rigorous and transparent selection process”.
It also considers that the “younger and fitter” workforce will be “more trainable in the changing technological environment”.
The plan was envisaged after scanning human resource practices of modern armies of developed nations, such as volunteer systems, enrolment age, and multiple entries with short service periods.