The government of Uttar Pradesh declared on Tuesday a reservation quota of 20 percent for Agniveers in recruitment processes for different posts of the state police personnel and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC).
This was done at a cabinet meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The reservation is to be done across several posts, such as constable police, constable PAC, mounted police, and fireman. Significantly, the initial batch of Agniveer recruits are expected to finish their service and retire in 2026.
This 20 percent reservation is introduced to provide job opportunities for Agniveers in UP's police force. They were enrolled in the Agnipath scheme, a short-term recruitment program by the Central government in June 2022. The aim of the scheme is to infuse young, technologically adept, and dynamic personnel into the Indian defense forces—the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
By law, 25 percent of Agniveers are retained by the Indian Armed Forces after their term, while the remaining 75 percent are retired after four years of service. The UP government’s reservation policy specifically targets this 75 percent group who exit the forces after completing their service period.
Moreover, Agniveers who seek such posts will gain from a three-year relaxation in age as a special concession. According to reports, the UP Police department is going to post around 28,000 vacancies soon including sub-inspector, inspector, jail warden, computer operator, etc.
With the 20 percent reservation to the cabinet, Agniveers will now be eligible to apply for permanent posts in the UP police and the PAC. Significantly, the Haryana government had earlier also issued a similar resolution providing 20 percent reservation to Agniveers in various government posts.
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