10% BSF jobs for ex-Agniveers

New Delhi: In a fillip to the ambitious Agnipath scheme, the Union home ministry has announced 10 per cent reservation for former Agniveers in vacancies in the Border Security Force (BSF) with relaxations in the upper age limit.

The announcement was made through a notification after amending the Border Security Force, General Duty Cadre (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment Rules, 2015, and it will come into effect from March 9. "Ten per cent of the vacancies shall be reserved for ex-Agniveers," the notification said.

The ministry said while the upper age limit would be relaxable to up to five years for candidates of the first batch of ex-Agniveers, the limit would be relaxable to up to three years for candidates of other batches.

Former Agniveers will also be exempted from physical efficiency test, the notification said. The Centre on June 14 last year had unveiled the Agnipath scheme for recruitment of youths aged between 17-and-a-half and 21 in the army, the navy and the air force, largely on a four-year short-term contractual basis.

Those recruited under the scheme will be known as 'Agniveers'. After the completion of the four-year tenure, 25 per cent of the recruits from each batch will be offered regular service. At that time, the home ministry had announced that 10 per cent vacancies in central paramilitary forces and the Assam Rifles would be reserved for demobilised 75 per cent Agniveers.