'Agnipath' Policy: Govt announces scheme for soldier recruitment - Details

Significant reform on how soldiers across the three services will be recruited under the new Agnipath scheme which will come into effect immediately.

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Aspirants between the ages of 17.5 years and 21 years will be eligible to apply.

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The move will considerably reduce the defence pension bill, which has been a major concern for governments for many years.

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The government had allocated nearly Rs 1.2 lakh crore for pensions for the Defence Ministry and the armed forces in the current fiscal year, which is about a quarter of the total defence budget of the country.

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