Agniveers to Join Indian Army’s Gorkha Rifles

• 05 Jun 2024

Why in News?

Recently, in Varanasi, Agniveers from the third batch marched on to the parade ground of the 39 Gorkha Training Centre (GTC), crossing the ‘Antim Pag’ to join the 3 & 9 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army.

• 3 & 9 Gorkha Rifles are Gorkha infantry regiments of the Indian Army.
• These are among the seven Gorkha regiments of the Indian Army. The other regiments are 1 GR, 4 GR, 5 GR (FF), 8 GR and 11 GR.

Key Points

• Agnipath Scheme was launched in 2022. It allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years. The youth joining the army will be called Agniveer.
  • Under the scheme, around 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers will be recruited annually, and most will leave the service in just four years.
  • It provides for recruiting youths between the age bracket of 17-and-half years and 21 for four years with a provision to retain 25% of them for 15 more years.
• Eligibility Criteria:
  • It is only for personnel below officer ranks (those who do not join the forces as commissioned officers).
    • Commissioned officers hold an exclusive rank in the Indian armed forces. They often hold a commission under the president's sovereign power and are officially instructed to protect the country.
  • Aspirants between the ages of 17.5 years and 23 years are eligible to apply.
• Objectives:
  • It is expected to bring down the average age profile of the Indian Armed Forces by about 4 to 5 years.
  • The scheme envisions that the average age in the forces is 32 years today, which will go down to 26 in six to seven years.