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NEW DELHI: The home ministry, in a notification issued on Friday, earmarked 50% of the constable-level vacancies in the Border Security Force (BSF) by direct recruitment, for ex-Agniveers, marking a five-fold increase in their earlier proposed quota of 10 per cent. Amending the BSF, General Duty Cadre (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment Rules, 2015, the home ministry said candidates aged between 18 and 23 years can apply for these posts, with the upper age-limit relaxable up to five years for candidates from the first batch of ex-Agniveers and up to three years for the subsequent batches. Importantly, the notification stated that 50 per cent vacancies at the constable level by direct recruitment shall be reserved for ex-Agniveers in every recruitment year, 10 per cent for ex-service personnel and up to 3% for absorption of annual vacancy amongst combatised constables (tradesmen).Ex-Agniveers shall be exempted from physical standard test and physical efficiency test. Candidates must be 10th class pass or equivalent from a recognised board or have an equivalent Army qualification in case of ex-Army personnel. For ex-servicemen’s deputation or re-employment, the recruitment shall be conducted by the nodal force in the first phase for 50 per cent vacancies earmarked for ex-Agniveers. In the second phase, recruitment shall be conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) for candidates other than ex-Agniveers for the remaining 47 per cent (including 10 per cent ex-Servicemen) of the vacancies, along with the unfilled vacancies of ex-Agniveers in a specific category in the first stage. The vacancies for female candidates shall be calculated on a year to year basis by the Director General Border Security Force on a functional requirement basis, the notification added.The home ministry decision for absorption of Agniveers into CAPFs is significant in that it seeks to incentivise the choice of youths for a short career in the armed forces, by offering them a long-term, follow-up career in the central para-military forces and Assam Rifles. For the central forces, ex-Agniveers offer an already trained pool at the direct recruitment stage.In June 2022, the government rolled out the Agnipath recruitment scheme with an aim to bring down the age profile of the three services. Under the scheme, candidates between the age bracket of 17 and half years and 21 who get selected are enrolled in the Army, Air Force and Navy as Agniveers for a period of four years with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years, while the remaining 75 per cent exit.
