First batch of Agniveers passes out of INS Chilka

Agniveers passes out of INS Chilka

On a recent occasion, 2,585 Agniveers, including 272 women from the Indian Navy, successfully completed their training at INS Chilka, located in Odisha. The parade was reviewed by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Adm R Hari Kumar, and also attended by PT Usha, a Member of Parliament, and notable sports personality Mithali Raj, along with eminent naval veterans.

Khushi Pathania, a 19-year-old from Pathankot, was honored with the General Bipin Rawat Trophy for Best Female Agniveer at the first passing out parade of Agniveers held at INS Chilka. Khushi’s grandfather was a Subedar Major, and she is the daughter of a farmer. Additionally, Amalakanti Jayaram was awarded the Chief of the Naval Staff Rolling Trophy and Gold Medal for Best Agniveer SSR, while Ajith P received the same award for the MR category.

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About the ‘Agniveer’

The “Agnipath” scheme is a defence recruitment initiative in India that aims to reduce the increasing salary and pension expenses by hiring short-term soldiers on a contract basis. These soldiers, known as ‘Agniveer’, will be initially recruited for four years, after which some of them may be retained. The scheme offers Indian youth an opportunity to serve in the Armed Forces and aims to achieve an optimal balance between youth and experience in the Army. Women will also be recruited into the armed forces under this scheme. Previously named “Tour of Duty”, the initiative was launched in the presence of the Chiefs of the three Services. Currently, the Army recruits youth under Short Service Commission for an initial tenure of 10 years, which can be extended up to 14 years.

Salary of Agniveers

Those recruited under the Agnipath scheme, known as Agniveers, will receive a monthly salary ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000, along with applicable allowances. The Seva Nidhi, which is their salary package, will be exempt from Income Tax. However, they will not be entitled to receive gratuity and pensionary benefits. To compensate for this, the Agniveers will be provided with a non-contributory life insurance cover of Rs 48 lakh.

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