Haryana Announces 10% Job Quota, ₹60,000 Subsidy for Agniveers

The Haryana government on July 17 announced a 10 per cent quota for Agniveers in posts of constable, mining guard, forest guard, jail warden and special police officer. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini also said the government will offer a subsidy of ₹60,000 per annum to the industrial unit that pays an Agniveer a salary of ₹30,000 per month.

Haryana govt announces benefits for Agniveers

• The Haryana government promised an age relaxation of 3 years in the maximum age prescribed for government posts in Groups B and C for Agniveers.
• In the case of the first batch of Agniveers, this age relaxation will be 5 years.
• The Haryana government will provide 5 per cent horizontal reservation for Agniveers in direct recruitment to civil posts in Group C and 1 per cent horizontal reservation in Group B.
• If Agniveer is given a salary of more than ₹30,000 per month by any industrial unit, then the state government will give a subsidy of ₹60,000 per annum to that industrial unit.

What is the Agnipath scheme?

• Agnipath scheme was announced in June 2022, the scheme recruits personnel below the rank of officers to the Indian armed forces for a short period of four years.
• At the end of four years, up to 25% of recruits, called Agniveers, join the services on a permanent commission (15 more years) subject to merit and other requirements.
• Besides the salary and other risk and hardship allowances, Agniveers receive approximately ₹11.71 lakhs (with interest) as a lump sum severance package from Seva Nidhi, a mutually contributed government fund.
• In case of death while on duty, their family is entitled to a lump sum of one crore (including Seva Nidhi) and full pay for the period which they could not serve. For the injured, depending on the scale of injuries, they can receive up to ₹44 lakh as compensation.

Why is the scheme opposed?

Agniveers do not draw pensions post their short tenure in the armed forces. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly attacked the NDA government over the scheme. On June 1, he wrote an open letter to President Droupadi Murmu alleging discrimination in the nature and extent of benefits accorded to the families of slain soldiers. The Congress leader had repeatedly attacked the BJP over the scheme during the general election campaign. Post cabinet formation of the 18th Lok Sabha, the allies of the NDA government have suggested a review of the scheme.