Agniveers' service tenure increased by two years, announcement by CDS

According to a report by The Hindu, Chief of Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani has announced that at the Union Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, a scheme to induct twenty-five percent of Agniveers into the regular military on a merit basis has been approved.

The CDS stated that the remaining Agniveers will be granted a two-year extension of engagement period after the completion of their engagement or engagement period, and when this period concludes, all Agniveers will be inducted into the armed forces subject to objective selection criteria.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that this decision will provide an opportunity to all willing Agniveers who fulfill the selection criteria to enlist as regular soldiers after their four or six-year tenure.

In a post on X, Rajnath Singh stated, "Taking an important decision today, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Shri Narendra Modi has approved a two-year 'Second Tour of Duty' for Agniveers under Agnipath."

He thanked Prime Minister Modi for the decision regarding the additional two-year 'Second Tour of Duty' for Agniveers under the Agnipath scheme. He added that this will provide an opportunity for all willing Agniveers fulfilling the selection criteria to enroll as regular soldiers after a tenure of 4 or 6 years.

This decision is in continuity with the long-term structural reforms of our defence forces, aimed at building a younger, fitter, technologically equipped, and future-ready military.

This is not merely a recruitment policy; it is the way forward to prepare India's military for the changing nature of warfare, the Defence Minister further added.