Army starts recruitment drive for 25,000 Agniveer posts; plans to increase their intake
Times of India
by SURENDRA SINGHFebruary 14, 2026
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The Indian Army has launched a significant recruitment drive for Agniveer roles, offering over 25,000 positions across the country to address a critical manpower shortage. This initiative follows the conclusion of the first batch of Agnipath recruits, who completed their four-year term by late 2026. The Army aims to stabilize its workforce by increasing recruitment efforts, with plans to expand annual vacancies from 46,000 to over 1 lakh in the coming years. Applications for these roles are now open, with a deadline of April 1, 2024.
The Agnipath scheme, introduced on June 14, 2022, initially offered 46,000 vacancies across the Army, Navy, and Indian Air Force, with 40,000 allocated to the Army alone. However, as more recruits complete their service terms and retirements increase, the Army is accelerating its hiring process. This recruitment drive is part of a broader strategy to reduce a significant shortfall of nearly 1.8 lakh soldiers.
Selected candidates will receive a structured salary starting at Rs 30,000 in the first month, increasing by Rs 5,000 each year, reaching Rs 40,000 by the fourth year. After contributing 30% to the Agniveer Corpus Fund, the net salary will range from Rs 21,000 in the first year to Rs 28,000 in the fourth year, with government contributions matching this amount annually.
The recruitment process includes various categories such as general duty, technical, clerk/storekeeper technical, tradesman, soldier pharma, soldier technical nursing assistant, and women military police. The application window opened on February 13, 2024, and will remain open until April 1, 2024. Candidates will undergo a three-phase selection process: a computer-based test (CBT), a recruitment rally, and document verification.
This recruitment drive underscores India's commitment to modernizing its armed forces and addressing long-standing
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Originally published on Times of India on 2/14/2026