The Union Cabinet has cleared two more years in uniform for the 75% of Agniveers who were set to leave after four years. They will now get a second chance at regular enrolment after six years in total.
Updated: 5 November 2026, 10:00 IST
Quick Read
- The Cabinet approved a “Second Tour of Duty” of two years on 4 November 2026.
- It covers the 75% of Agniveers not picked for regular service after four years.
- After six years, those who are willing can apply for regular enrolment if they meet the selection rules.
The Union Cabinet has changed the Agnipath scheme. On 4 November 2026, it approved two more years of service for most Agniveers. Chief of Defence Staff General N S Raja Subramani announced the decision in New Delhi after the Cabinet meeting. This is big news for the first batch. These young soldiers were about to leave. Now they have more time in uniform, and a second chance at a regular job in the forces.
What was the old rule?
Agnipath started on 14 June 2022. Under it, young men and women join the Army, Navy, or Air Force for four years. They are called Agniveers. After four years, only 25% of each batch get picked for regular service. They are picked on merit. That means on performance and record. The other 75% have to leave. That 75% was the worry. The first batch was weeks away from leaving. The Navy’s first batch finishes on 21 November. The Air Force batch finishes on 21 December. The Army batch finishes on 31 December. For background, read our guide explaining the Agnipath scheme.
What changes now?
The 75% will now be offered two more years. This is called the Second Tour of Duty. So their total service becomes six years, not four. Nothing changes for the 25%. They still join the regular forces after four years, as before. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called the new step a Second Tour of Duty. General Subramani said the forces had watched the Agniveers’ work for four years. He said the feedback was good. The forces asked for the change, and the Cabinet agreed.
Also read: Delhi AQI Very Poor: Green Crackers Diwali
Who benefits, and what must they do?
Two things matter here. First, willingness. The extra two years are for Agniveers who want to stay. No one is forced to take them, per the CDS announcement. Second, selection rules. After six years, an Agniveer can apply for regular enrolment. But it is not automatic. They must meet what the CDS called “objective selection criteria”. That means clear, fixed tests and standards, not a favour or a promise. One more point matters for fairness. The 25% picked after four years will be senior to the 75% who join as regular soldiers two years later. That’s because they joined the regular cadre first. The Deccan Herald reported this seniority detail from the announcement.
What about pay and the exit money?
Pay goes up in the two extra years. Reports of the decision put the monthly package at ₹43,500 in the fifth year and ₹47,500 in the sixth year, plus allowances. For comparison, the package in the fourth year of the old term was ₹40,000. The exit money also changes. It’s called Seva Nidhi. It’s a lump sum paid when an Agniveer leaves. Under the old four-year terms, it was about ₹11.71 lakh, with interest added. For the two extra years, one report puts the Seva Nidhi figure at ₹10.92 lakh, excluding interest, with the government putting in 70% of the monthly package instead of about 30% before. Don’t add those two figures together yet. They come from different bases, and one report itself calls a combined six-year total an estimate. The exact rules will come in formal guidelines, which are still to follow.
What happens after six years?
Three paths open up. If an Agniveer is picked for regular service after six years, they become a regular soldier. Then normal pension and service rules apply to them as regular soldiers. If they are not picked even after six years, they leave. Here’s the hard part: official sources told reporters there will be no central reservation in government jobs for those who leave after six years. The reason given is that they were given every chance to stay on. That’s different from the four-year exit. Several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Maharashtra, have announced reservations in police and other services for Agniveers who leave after four years. Those state announcements were for the old four-year exit. How they apply to a six-year exit is not yet clear from the announcement. Also note this: Agniveers who leave after four years do not get a pension or gratuity. The two extra years do not change that on their own. Pension comes only with regular enrolment.
What is still unclear?
The big picture is clear. The fine print is not. The government has not yet published the full guidelines. Those will spell out the exact selection tests, the exact Seva Nidhi maths, and what happens to state reservations after six years. The CDS also said the scheme is “not set in stone”. That means more changes are possible later. For now, though, Agnipath stays. It has not been stopped or scrapped. The next step to watch is the formal notification. Once it comes, Agniveers in the first batch will know exactly how to opt in for the extra two years.
Timeline
| Event | Date / detail |
|---|---|
| Agnipath launches | 14 June 2022 |
| Navy first batch ends (old rule) | 21 November 2026 |
| Air Force first batch ends (old rule) | 21 December 2026 |
| Army first batch ends (old rule) | 31 December 2026 |
| New path | 4 years + 2-year Second Tour of Duty = 6 years, then a shot at regular enrolment |
Also read:
FAQ
Q: Who gets the two extra years?
A: The 75% of Agniveers who are not picked for regular service after their first four years, if they are willing to stay.
Q: Does six years mean a permanent job for sure?
A: No. After six years, willing Agniveers get a chance to apply for regular enrolment. They must still meet the selection criteria.
Q: Does the 25% rule still exist?
A: Yes. The top 25% on merit still join the regular forces after four years, exactly as before.
Sources
- The New Indian Express, 4 Nov 2026
- The Economic Times, 4 Nov 2026
- Deccan Herald, 4 Nov 2026
- News18, 4 Nov 2026
- IndiaDefenceWire, 4 Nov 2026
- DD India (PIB)
Sasanka Sekhar Pradhan is the founder of India Presents, an India-focused news site. He covers daily box-office trackers, India news, economy explainers, sports previews and festival guides — in simple English, so readers across India can follow fast-moving stories without jargon. His focus is what a story means for the reader: the number that matters, the source behind it, and what happens next. India Presents publishes daily, with day-trackers updated as new figures come in.
