Scrap Agnipath scheme, give permanent posting to Aginveers: Congress

The Congress demands came two days after the Union Cabinet approved changes to the scheme, including a two-year extension for Agniveers completing their initial four-year tenure and the possibility of permanent recruitment thereafter on meeting the eligibility criteria. File

The Congress on Friday (November 6, 2026) renewed its demand for scrapping the Agnipath scheme, alleging that it had weakened the country’s security and left the armed forces facing a shortage of over two lakh soldiers.

The party also demanded that Agniveers selected for permanent service be given all benefits of regular soldiers retrospectively, from the date of their recruitment.

The Congress demands came two days after the Union Cabinet approved changes to the scheme, including a two-year extension for Agniveers completing their initial four-year tenure and the possibility of permanent recruitment thereafter on meeting the eligibility criteria.

Introduced in June 2022, the Agnipath scheme provides for recruitment into the armed forces for four years, with 25% of each batch eligible for retention in regular service.

The recent changes were announced just over three weeks before about 18,300 Agniveers are due to complete their tenure and exit the armed forces by December 31.

Addressing a press conference, chief of the party’s ex-servicemen department Colonel (retired) Rohit Chaudhry said the scheme was imposed on the armed forces by the Narendra Modi government despite the three Service chiefs having stated that they had not recommended it.

“This was a scheme that weakened our country’s security,” he said, adding that the Congress had campaigned against it under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi through its ‘Jai Jawan’ campaign.

Col. Chaudhry alleged that the scheme had resulted in a shortage of more than two lakh soldiers and shattered the hopes of 1.5 lakh candidates who had been recruited into the Army and the Air Force but were awaiting their joining orders when the recruitment process was discontinued.

He questioned the government’s decision to extend the tenure of Agniveers by two years, saying it did not address the fundamental problem with the scheme.

Under the revised arrangement, Agniveers completing four years of service would get a two-year extension, after which those meeting the prescribed selection criteria could be absorbed into regular service. “The question is, why only a two-year extension? Why not make them permanent?” he asked.

The Congress leader also alleged that more than 40 Agniveers had died by suicide, attributing the deaths to the scheme, discrimination and service conditions. He said the government had announced the changes with the first batch of Agniveers nearing the end of its tenure.