Now, Centre reserves 10% CISF vacancies to ex-agniveers

The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has reserved 10 per cent of vacancies for former 'agniveers' in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), days after earmarking a similar quota in Border Security Force (BSF) in a move that will give the new crop of military personnel job opportunities after being out of the forces.

A gazette notification amending the recruitment rules issued by the MHA on Thursday said, "10 per cent of the vacancies shall be reserved for ex-Agniveers."

The upper age limit would be relaxable to up to five years for candidates of the first batch of ex-agniveers while the limit would be relaxable to up to three years for candidates of other batches. Former agniveers will also be exempted from the physical efficiency test, it said.

The Centre had last June announced the Agnipath scheme for recruitment of youth aged between seventeen-and-half years and 21 years in the military for a four-year short-term job on contractual basis. Those recruited will be known as agniveers and only 25 per cent of those recruited from each batch will be offered regular service.

The scheme had attracted criticism and protests across the country.

Following this, the MHA announced that 10 per cent of vacancies in paramilitary forces and Assam Rifles would be reserved for former agniveers. The specified age limit for recruitment to paramilitary forces is 18-23 years.