The Agneepath scheme may be detrimental to economic quality, however, it may bring about a major social change in the regimental system.
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The Agneepath Recruitment Scheme, recently announced on June 14 for entry-level soldiers in all military establishments, has seven benefits. No disadvantages are listed, but retired and 'other senior' executives have reacted emotionally, adversely, through commentary articles in social media and newspapers.
While receiving such a response, a reality check is underway.
This is not an economic reform
The Agneepath scheme will cover 46,000 firefighters in the next 18 months for a mandatory period of four years. In the end, 11,500 of them, or 25 percent of the firefighters, will be included in the appropriate divisions of the army. The remaining 75 per cent (34,500) will return to civilian life, each of whom will be retired with a final farewell of Rs 17 lakh. The amount to be paid at the end of the service is partly self-funded and 30 per cent will be deducted from the monthly salary of the firefighters. This amount increases from Rs 30,000 in the first year to Rs 40,000 in the fourth year. In this, the government will also add the same share, to which interest (rate not known) will be added.
To assess the financial benefits, we assume that recruitment will continue at the same rate for 19 (4 + 15) years. The 1,84,000 (46,000 x 4) available manpower of young, temporary firefighters / soldiers / soldiers from the fourth year onwards will be 15 per cent of the military strength. Their cash salary is not a problem, because it is equal to what regular soldiers earn.
Financial or pension reform is not the purpose of this scheme. In fact, additional costs are provided to support this available manpower. The number of ex-firefighters who have completed their service period will be 5 lakh by 2042.
The real problem is that 34,500 (75 per cent of 46,000) people will retire from the fifth year. The annual cost of services paid to them is Rs. 4,036.5 crore. (Fixed price). This is 2.5 per cent of the provision in the salary budget for 2022-23. On the whole, a 15 per cent increase in military strength is acceptable.
Instead, imagine that the government recruits as many regular soldiers as it can. The accumulated value of end-of-service benefits at the end of 15 years (normal service period of a soldier) is not paid / saved, with 8% interest, Rs. 70,017 crore. (2.03 crore per soldier). It appears to be a generous fund to fund one's pension plan and medical benefits. It is clear that financial or pension reform is not the goal. In fact, it is envisaged an additional cost to support the available manpower, which will reach 5 lakh by 2042.
Massive social change
This is a variable change in recruitment policy, which will have the greatest impact on the army and the infantry organized in the colonial regiment system. The biggest possible change is socio-political.
This has dealt a major blow to the colonial practice of recruiting soldiers from within caste-era India after the 1857 uprising. Today, most of these martial castes mean Jats, Sikhs, Marathas, Rajputs and Gurkhas, as the regiment's traditions and prejudices are deep. As is the case with judges, the same is true of the army, which recruits itself. Note that the military does not adhere to the caste-based reservation quota for SCs or STs.
In contrast, there is an online recruitment for firefighters 'for all countries, for all categories' and any eligible Indian can apply for it. Over time, this will soften the prejudices of ethnic and regional structures as well as infantry regiments. It is also important to note that the press release tends to underestimate the potential for major social change in this regimental composition of the regiment, as this change is likely to be strongly opposed.
Lost the motivation of the soldiers?
Concerns about the composition of the regiment are that the close cultural and ethnic constraints within the regiment will be broken. As a result, the motivation to make the supreme sacrifice of life will be lost. Since colonial times, soldiers have been facing the deadly threat of bragging about their village, caste or region heroes. Strict officers and junior officers in battle believe that it is their passion to protect the honor of their ancestors that motivates Indian soldiers to make outstanding contributions. The motivation acquired through training and the personal example of their officers leading the way are additional motivations, which boosts the morale to defend the nation in any situation.
Officers with combat experience and appointed junior officers believe that this is the hope of defending the honor of their ancestors, which motivates Indian soldiers to excel.
This fear is true, but it ignores the power of more encouragement from those who turn to this path. The firefighters can be motivated by their determination to join the army by securing a place in the top 25 percent. These graduate firefighters can also earn a special status by passing such a double ordeal (examination) once to gain admission and the second time to get a place in the top one-fourth of their group.
New management challenges
The leaflet also declares that the scheme gives the youth a unique opportunity to serve the country. This is true, because in the past the Short Service Commission was only for officer positions, not for soldiers. With no increase in the total number of sepoy recruits, it is feared that Agnivir will grab the required minimum number of sepoy posts to be filled during the year. Also, under the Agnivir Yojana, those who want to take advantage of opportunities beyond four years of service can attract attractive rewards at the end of four years of service (preferably in the Central Police Service), instead of the regular soldiers who have been dedicating themselves to the defense of the nation for generations. More fundamentally, mixing ‘opportunists’ with seriously committed soldiers is a completely new management challenge for the Indian infantry.
This plan will reduce the statistical age of the army. However, the real question is whether young talent will occupy important positions. The fear is that the regiment's commander will treat the firefighters (about five in a group of 30 soldiers) as inferior to the regular soldiers and assign them minor tasks.
In the press release, the terms of service have been presented in an attractive manner. The monthly salary will be increased to Rs. Not surprisingly, the decision has been welcomed by private sector security providers in anticipation of increased availability of pre-trained and skilled personnel.
Some recommendations
Agnivirs can be so idealistic that candidates will have to avoid the more difficult task of becoming a regular soldier for 15 years. Some improvements can help eliminate these distortions.
With no increase in the total number of sepoy recruits, it is feared that Agnivir will grab the required minimum number of sepoy posts to be filled during the year.
First of all, qualify as a graduate to get regular peon status for the top 25 percent. This will get rid of the 'opportunists' and allow others to be selected with a commitment to long-term service, as space becomes available for recruitment. The high rate of leakage will also show that the plan is very attractive and the incentives can be reduced.
Second, to motivate firefighters to move away from the notion of spending time until their benefits are paid — the bottom 25 percent of firefighters in each group will receive a lower amount at the end of the service, with only personal contributions including interest but no government contributions.
The timing of the scheme, announced with 10 lakh central government jobs to be filled by September 2023, looks like a welfare program, rather than targeted recruitment for absentee skills in the government. Politically-motivated programs are short-lived and cause unavoidable disruptions to government work. The Agneepath scheme does not make much sense on economic principles, but it can bring about socio-political change.
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