IAF Chief Praises Agnipath, Saying That Any Reduction In Expenses As A Result Of The Scheme Is Merely Incidental

According to Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, the “Agnipath” programme supports the Indian Air Force’s long-term goal of being a “lean and lethal” force with the best personnel, and the new recruitment strategy won’t compromise the force’s operational capacity in any way.

13 teams will be in charge of enrolling, hiring, evaluating, and training recruits for the course of the four-year engagement period, according to the Chief of Air Staff.

According to Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari, the reform was not started with the purpose of saving money on pensions and other expenses; they are only a byproduct of the scheme’s implementation.

The IAF’s ongoing manpower optimization campaign, in which we have reviewed numerous human resource policies and organisational structures, is furthered by the Agnipath plan, he said.

For around 3,000 vacancies in the IAF, nearly 7,50,000 individuals have enrolled under the new programme.

According to the Chief of Air Staff, the programme supports the IAF’s “long-term aim of having a lean and lethal force with the best human resource since we strongly believe that the men and women behind the machine make all the difference when it matters.”

The programme, which was unveiled on June 14, aims to enlist young people between the ages of 17 and a half and 21 for only four years, with an option to keep 25% of them for an additional 15 years. The maximum age has been raised to 23 years old for 2022.

Last month, there were violent demonstrations against the scheme in several Indian cities, and the protesters demanded its cancellation because the new model does not promise employment to 75% of recruits.

“The fundamental demands placed on an air warrior have changed qualitatively along with technology. We believe that today’s youth carries with them a unique and crucial mix of abilities as well as proficiency with technology, “added he.

According to Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari, the IAF would have a “perfect mix” to be a powerful force in the future thanks to the convergence of organisational necessities and youth desires.

“We see the implementation to be smooth with a restructured training pattern that is current, technology-based, and tailored for our operational responsibilities,” he said.

The IAF commander said that the suggestions of the Kargil Review Committee have been addressed gradually and that there has been extensive discussion about the need for change in the human resources in the services.

The influence of evolving technology, the complexity of machines, automation, and resource optimization, including manpower for the IAF, are all taken into account by this transformation of human resources, the official said.

He claimed the IAF has already got an overwhelming response for the Agnipath project, which he described as a huge “human resources reform” for the armed services.

“The selecting procedure is now underway. 13 teams have been formed for the four-year engagement period to ensure smooth enrollment, training, role, employment, assessment, and training of Agniveers “added he.

“Our operational capability is not in any way diminished as a result of the HR change. In reality, the armed services would gain the advantage of engaging with young people who are eager to serve the country, according to the IAF chief.

He claimed that Agniveers’ “objective judgement” will give the IAF access to the top personnel. Long-term, this plan will be advantageous to the person, the military, and society at large, according to Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari.

This plan will balance our forces by combining youth and experience and allow the IAF to fulfil all of its national security missions, he continued.

In order to develop the necessary abilities for our air warriors, he said, “just-in-time” training principles and our experience with modular training have given us profound information.”