Agniveer service tenure extended by two years, CDS announces

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday (November 4, 2026), cleared a scheme for the absorption of 25% of Agniveers into regular forces based on merit, Chief of Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani announced.

Two more years of engagement period offer to be given to the remaining Agniveers and when this engagement period is over, all Agniveers to be inducted into armed forces subject to objective selection criteria, the CDS said.

While 25% of Agniveers will be enrolled into the armed forces upon completing four years of service under the Agnipath scheme, the remaining 75% of Agniveers will now be offered an additional engagement period of two years. Upon the completion of this two-year period, all those who are willing will be enrolled into the forces, subject to objective selection criteria.

If an Agniveer is not retained even after the six years, then there will be no reservation for them in any government jobs.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the decision would provide all “willing” Agniveers a chance to enrol as regular soldiers after their tenure of four or six years, conditional on them meeting the selection criteria.

“Taking a significant decision today, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Shri @narendramodi has approved a two-year ‘Second Tour of Duty’ for Agniveers under #Agnipath. I sincerely thank PM Modi for taking the decision of additional 2-year ‘Second Tour of Duty’ for Agniveers under the Agnipath scheme. This would also provide enrolment of all willing Agniveers as regular soldiers after the tenure of 4/6 years, who meet the selection criteria,” Mr. Singh said in a post on X.

“This decision is continuation of long-term structural reforms of our defence forces, aimed at creating a younger, fitter, technologically equipped and future-ready military. It is not merely a recruitment policy; it is a way forward to prepare India’s military for the changing character of warfare,” he added.

The Agnipath scheme was announced in 2022 for the recruitment of soldiers — youth between 17.5 to 23 years — in the three branches of the armed forces, on a short-term basis. Currently, there are around 3,00,000 Agniveers in the defence forces.