New Delhi: In a significant climbdown, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday (November 4) decided to amend the Agniveer scheme to allow all existing recruits a six-year term instead of four years as decided in the original plan announced in June 2022. The decision comes as 75% of the first batch of Agniveers – as those recruited under the Agnipath scheme are called – prepare to leave the service after completing their four-year service. Twenty-five per cent are to be retained as per the scheme’s original design.Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Chief of Defence Staff General N.S. Raja Subramani made the announcement at the National Media Centre in the national capital after the Cabinet made the decision. The CDS said that if an Agniveer is not retained after the revised six year service term, then there will be no reservation for them in any government jobs, as per a report in the Hindu.“Upon completion of this two-year period, all those who are willing will be enrolled into the armed forces, subject to objective selection criteria,” the CDS said.“The Agnipath scheme has not been discontinued – it will continue,” said CDS Staff General Raja Subramani, addressing the press on Wednesday. He announced an increase in the monthly “remuneration” of the Agniveers whose term is being extended, to around Rs 45,000 in the first year and around Rs 47,000 in the second year.There is also a hike in the ‘Seva Nidhi’ package for the two years of extended service, with the government contributing 70% of what the Agniveers contribute.In effect, the 25-75 split in those retained or let go of will have the soldiery to face the government’s “objective selection criteria” at the point of exit, apart from facing stringent tests at the time of their entry into the services. The differences, if any, in terms of the seniorty of the 25% retained and the rest are still unclear.The amended scheme has started to draw initial responses from veterans. “With due respect, extending the Agniveer scheme for two more years does not address its fundamental flaws. It risks undermining national security, operationalreadiness, combat experience and the long term career aspirations of our soldiers,” said retired Lt. Col. N. Thiagarajan, posting on X in response to the developments.Thiagarajan said, “The Indian Army is not an experimental employment scheme. It is a professional fighting force built on experience, continuity, competence and commitment.” The extended six-year term for the Agniveers will end in 2029 instead of 2027. That will be two years after the next Lok Sabha election, in which the Bharatiya Janata Party will seek re-election for a fourth term. Further, the retained Agniveers will face the 25-75 split test once again in 2029. Those who do not make the cut will not get reservation benefits.Also read: Survey About Agniveers Reveal 72% of Participants Felt Job Stress, 60% Had Negative Views on AgnipathThere are around 3,00,000 Agniveers serving in the defence forces at present.“Taking a significant decision today, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Shri @narendramodi has approved a two-year ‘Second Tour of Duty’ for Agniveers under #Agnipath,” said Union minister of defence Rajnath Singh in a post on X late on November 4 afternoon.As per Singh’s tweet, the scheme still envisages retaining only 25% of Agniveer recruits, while the rest are to be retired without pension or the full benefits associated (until 2022) with serving in the Indian military after the six years are over.“This decision is continuation of long-term structural reforms of our defence forces, aimed at creating a younger, fitter, technologically equipped and future-ready military. It is not merely a recruitment policy; it is a way forward to prepare India’s military for the changing character of warfare,” Singh wrote, indicating that the temporary recruitment system was to continue.Family members and relatives pay tribute to the mortal remains of Agniveervayu Danish Alam who was killed in an Antonov An-32 transport aircraft crash in Bhojpur, Bihar, Sunday, June 14, 2026. Photo: PTI.Earlier, the soldiers had 15-year terms and guaranteed pensions. The promised skill certificate and support for finding future employment did not assuage the youth anger, primarily because military (especially army) recruitments were the only source of mass employment in the poorer unindustrialsed states.There was widespread resentment across the country, particularly in the northern states, after the government had suddenly announced the Agnipath scheme in 2022. The anger was over the lump sum cash payment the Agniveers were supposed to receive on being dischared, as opposed to regular pensions, as well as the shortened service period. The scheme immediately sparked protests.Also read: ‘Will Have to Sell Pakodas After 4 Years’: Who Are the Anti-Agnipath Protesters?Those already preparing for military jobs were also left stranded as the services migrated to the new system, with 17.5 year to 21 years as the age limit, after around 3 years of no recruitment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The age limits were later somewhat relaxed by 2 years.Protests against Agnipath had turned violent in parts of the country, and experts had cautioned against releasing youngsters with arms training among the civilian population. They had also warned that the four-year term was inadequate, since it did not give enough room for training as well as active duty – the scheme envisages a six-month training and 3.5 years of deployment.The death of Agniveers in the line of duty had also caused controversies, since their terms of discharge were not the same as those for regular soldiers.