Armed Forces Recruitment: Govt Set For BIG Reboot. Details Here

Under the new 'Tour of Duty scheme, people will be recruited for three years and beyond will be eligible to be deployed as combatants in key forward locations and there will be no restrictions in their roles.

New Delhi: In what comes as a massive news for those seeking jobs in Army or Armed Forces, the government at the Centre is all set to announce a new recruitment process most likely on Tuesday (June 14). The new recruitment model will be called the Tour of Duty in which civilians can be recruited into three services of the armed forces for four years. Under this first-of-its-kind model of the Indian Army, likely to be named the “Agneepath” recruitment scheme, the recruited soldiers will be named “Agniveers” and they will be recruited for a period of four years at the end of which they will get over Rs 10 lakh tax-free and certificates or diplomas for their service. It is learned that the scheme could be rolled out this week as it has already been given final touches following a series of detailed deliberations among the three service chiefs.

This recruitment scheme aims to recruit about 45,000-50,000 personnel below officer rank in the three services every year through a biannual exercise with a six-month gap. And, at the end of their four-year tenure, 25 per cent of these recruits will be inducted back into the services. However, a final call for the reinduction is yet to be finalised. The recruits under the Tour of Duty scheme will undergo training for six months and serve for the remaining period. At present, a soldier of the Indian Armed Forces serves for nearly 17-20 years.

Here are all details about the Short-service Route

Recruitment Age: 17 ½ – 21 years
Tenure: 4 years
Positions: 45,000 to 50,000 personnel every year
Training period: 6 months
Salary Range: Rs 30,000-Rs 40,000
Payout at service end: Rs 10-12 lakh (Tax free)

Under this Tour of Duty scheme, a recruit’s starting salary will be Rs 30,000, and this will likely go up to Rs 40,000 by the end of the fourth year. However, 30 per cent of the salary will be held back as savings, and an equal amount contributed by the government per month, under the Seva Nidhi scheme. The total amount, between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh, will be given to the soldier at the end of four years, and will be tax-free.

The Army has also branded this as an opportunity for India’s youth to experience military life without having to join the armed forces on a long-term basis. This will also be an opportunity for those who do not want to join the Army as a profession but wish to experience military life for a temporary duration.

The Tour of Duty recruitment model has been conceptualised to address the shortages of personnel, including officers. The recruitment model has also been proposed as a means to generate increased employment opportunities within the country with the ultimate ambition being to ensure that nearly 40 per cent of the Indian Army’s personnel are recruited through this medium. This recruitment move is expected to address several issues related to the Armed Forces, and bring relief to lakhs of youth aspiring to join the Army and navy and Air Force Armed Forces.

The proposal, which has been part of broad reforms envisaged for the forces, has been deliberated upon extensively in the last two years. This scheme will benefit the Army financially, according to the people cited above.

Currently, the only option available to civilians to enlist in the Army apart from the regular permanent commission route is the Short Service Commission. At present, the Army recruits young people under the SSC for an initial tenure of 10 years which is extendable up to 14 years. Under the new scheme, people to be recruited under the ToD for three years and beyond will be eligible to be deployed as combatants in key forward locations and there will be no restrictions in their roles.