The Armed Forces of this nation are the first responders to any external threat, standing firm on the ground, in the air and at sea. The primary source of strength are the personnel who man the machines of war and the Agnipath scheme would give all eligible citizens an opportunity to join the Armed Forces as Agniveers.
Agniveers who will join the IAF are going to be part of an organisation that prides itself on its core values of Mission, Integrity and Excellence. These core values equip our men and women with the knowledge, ethos and pride to render service to the nation and form the bedrock on which the professional attitudes and beliefs that characterise an air warrior are formed. Agniveers, by virtue of the tailored training that will be accorded to them, combined with a robust and resilient unit ethos and work culture, will imbibe these very same values.
The youth of the country today have an education and skills that allows them to adapt quickly to a fast changing technology based environment. They are adept at understanding and using technology and are aligned to future trends. The IAF is looking to tap into this source of dynamic young people, train and expose them to the high tech environment of the IAF and hone their skills for future employment. The new scheme therefore gives the IAF an opportunity to draw from the vast pool of talent available in the country, so that they can serve in their nation’s Armed Forces with pride. A short tenure in the IAF will facilitate military training and inculcate amongst them the qualities of leadership, patriotism, determination, discipline, maturity, courage, camaraderie, orderliness and sense of time management.
The scheme also allows the IAF to assess both the aptitude and attitude of the young people who join as Agniveers and prepare them for further specialized training in aviation and non-aviation skills required by the IAF, should they opt to join as regular air warriors. This will not only contribute effectively in upskilling of the youth of the country but it also
ensures that ‘right training at the right time’ is imparted.
Lastly, the IAF shall be imparting a wide range of training and exposure to the Agniveers in aviation, weapons and sophisticated ground systems. Agniveers who re-join civil society will be ‘job ready’ to be absorbed by a variety of employers. Armed with the skills that they have learnt in the IAF, it is these Agniveers who will carry their training,
discipline and experience to our indigenous industry.
This therefore emerges as a win-win situation with the IAF benefitting from both the Agniveers who have many options after four years and those who would be joining the IAF as permanent service members.
I invite the aspiring youth of India to seize this unique opportunity to serve the nation and touch the sky with glory.