The Agniveer Scheme and its Implications on the Armed Forces

Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (retd.) is the former Chief of Air Staff, a highly decorated officer with a distinguished career spanning over four decades. He previously served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) at Southern Air Command. During his tenure as Vice Chief of the Air Staff, he played a pivotal role in the Rafale negotiations. He has joined the BJP right before the 2024 Lok Sabha Polls.

In this edition of the ANI podcast with Smita Prakash, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (retd.) defends the Agnipath schemes introduced by the NDA government in 2022. He emphasises that the Agnipath scheme was the result of extensive discussions among the armed forces, government departments, and paramilitary forces over two years.

He asserts that the scheme is not merely about reducing pension liabilities but about adapting to evolving technology and combat threats. He explains that the scheme aims to create a younger, more technologically adept force, with 25% of Agniveers being retained for permanent service.