Agnipath Scheme is a new scheme introduced by the Government of India on 14 June 2022, for the recruitment of soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers into the three services of the armed forces.
The Agnipath Scheme will be the only route for recruitment into the military. All recruits will be hired only for a four-year period. Personnel recruited under this system are to be called Agniveers (Fire-Warriors), which will be a new military rank. The introduction of the scheme has been criticised for lack of consultation and public debate. The scheme is scheduled to be implemented from September 2022.
This scheme will bypass many things including long tenures, pension, and other benefits which were there in the old system. Opposition parties in India have criticised and expressed concerns about the consequences of the new scheme. They have asked the scheme to be put on hold and that the scheme be discussed in the Parliament.