SRINAGAR: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a two-year extension of the tenure of Agniveers, weeks before around 18,000 recruits were due to complete their existing four-year engagement in the armed forces.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani said all Agniveers would be given an opportunity to continue their service in the armed forces, subject to their performance and its subsequent assessment.
He said the decision would allow Agniveers to be considered for an extended engagement based on a review of their performance.
Under the Agnipath recruitment scheme, introduced for the armed forces, personnel were initially recruited for a four-year term, with a provision to retain only 25 per cent of each batch in regular service.
The latest decision comes ahead of the scheduled completion of the tenure of around 18,000 Agniveers.
