Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke via video conference on Wednesday at the MoU Exchange Ceremony ‘Outreach Programme with Ministry of Education (MoE) & and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE)’ in New Delhi, saying that as a citizen, he sees the ‘Agnipath’ scheme as a helper in nation-building. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “As the Defence Minister of the country, I do see the Agnipath scheme as helpful in building a strong, capable Armed Forces. In addition, as a citizen, I see this scheme as beneficial to nation-building.”

“Agnipath is a game changer scheme for the Armed Forces that will act as a force multiplier in making Indian military one of the best in the world with youthful, high-tech, and ultra-modern outlook,” said Defence Minister in his virtual address at the MoU Exchange Ceremony ‘Outreach Programme with Ministry of Education (MoE) & and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE) in New Delhi.

During the event, the Ministries of Defence (MoD), Education (MoE), Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE), and all three Services signed/exchanged Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs)/Agreements with various stakeholders to facilitate continued education of Agnives while serving in the Armed Forces and the award of appropriate skill certificates in accordance with their expertise/experience. The Agniveers will be awarded suitable 12th Class certificates and Bachelor’s degrees under these MoUs with the National Institute of Open School (NIOS) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

Pointing to the signed MoU, Defence Minister said, “All these Academic Courses, Skill Development Programs will be helpful in creating new opportunities for the ‘Agnives’ in the future.” He also elaborated on the paradigm-shifting changes that the Agnipath scheme will bring about in transforming the Armed Forces into a tech-savvy, well-equipped, and combat-ready unit to face future challenges.

“I look forward to the day when our Agniveers will return and benefit society,” he added. It is worth noting that, while being trained and deployed with the Armed Forces, the Job Roles/Skill Sets of Agniveers have been mapped with National Occupational Standards (NOS), in collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Sector Skill Councils (SSCs). ‘Kaushal Praman Patra’ will be issued to Agniveers when they leave the Armed Forces based on these market-ready and industry-accepted qualifications.

To make the process run smoothly, various MoSDE departments collaborated extensively in the Armed Forces and were awarded Dual Category recognition as the Awarding Body (AB) and Assessment Agency (AA) by the National Council of Vocational Education and Training (NCVET). Furthermore, the MoSDE’s Directorate General of Training (DGT) would facilitate the award of National Trade Certificates (NTC) to Agniveers.

The Defence Minister went on to say that assisting ‘Agniveers’ would be a win-win situation for everyone because they would not only become ‘Surakshaveers’ for the nation by serving in the Armed Forces, but they would also become ‘Samriddhiveers’ by contributing to the country’s prosperity. Through their education, skill, discipline, and other qualities, they will benefit the entire society and contribute to nation building. They would also inspire the youth to become Agniveers, he said.

Complimenting the Ministries of Defence, Home Affairs, Railways, state governments, and the private sector for extending support to Agniveers in various services, the Raksha Mantri urged the remaining Ministries, State Governments, and the corporate sector to come forward with greater enthusiasm and provide new opportunities to Agniveers as far as possible. He stated that “it is the system’s responsibility to provide newer opportunities to Agniveers who dedicate their lives to the service of the nation.”

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said in a video message that these Memorandums of Understanding/Agreements would enable serving Agnives to get the most out of their academic education and skill development. He also stated that NOS will assist them in passing the 10th and 12th exams, and that enrolled Agniveer in university will be able to complete 50% of the syllabus of general higher studies, with the remaining credit earned through skill development training provided by defence institutions. They could get a bachelor’s degree from IGNOU and an Agniveer diploma after two years with the necessary credit. These degrees would help Agniveer find work and further his education on a national and international scale.

On June 15, 2022, the government launched the Agnipath scheme to recruit both male and female aspirants into the three services’ ‘below the officer’s rank’ cadre for four years as Agniveers. Candidates must be between the ages of 17.5 and 21 to apply for the scheme. These Agniveers would receive enhanced basic military training as well as specialised trade training, followed by up-skilling courses as needed. The scheme offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to transform Yuva Shakti into Agniveers and allows potential youth to realise their dream of serving the nation in the Armed Forces. Agniveers would be shaped into Nation Builders by exposure through the Agnipath Scheme and fostered allegiance to Naam, Namak, and Nishan.

There has been a whole national approach to equip Agniveers with appropriate Academic Qualifications & Skills while serving in the Armed Forces, to assist those Agniveers who wish to start a second career option outside, with other Governmental organisations, Industries, or even as Startup Entrepreneurs. Senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and other ministries attended the ceremony, including the Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, as well as the Chiefs of all three Services.