New Delhi: Amid the spiralling protests across India, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said Friday that recruitment under the Agnipath scheme will start from June 24. Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari while making this announcement here added that raising the upper age limit to 23 for induction under the Agnipath scheme for the year 2022 would permit a larger section of youths to enrol under the new model of recruitment.
“The government has recently come out with the ‘Agnipath’ scheme for enrolment in the Armed Forces. The age bracket for the scheme is 17-and-half-years to 21 years. I am pleased to inform that the upper age limit for the first induction has been increased to 23 years,” Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said.
“This change would permit a larger section of the youth to enroll as ‘Agniveer’. The selection process for the Air Force will start from June 24,” he said.
The government had Thursday night increased the upper age limit for recruitment under the Agnipath scheme to 23 years from 21 for the year 2022.
After the scheme was rolled out, the Army said it would ensure an enhanced youthful profile of the force and result in a ‘reduction in the average age from 32 to 26 years over a period of time’.
The three service chiefs have also strongly backed the scheme and said it was unveiled after over two years of deliberations.
Military officials said with the infusion of technology and revamping of the training programme, the Armed Forces would ensure that the personnel inducted under the scheme have the same skill sets which are required to meet the operational challenges.