Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has welcomed the Union Cabinet’s decision to provide an additional two-year service opportunity to Agniveers under the Agnipath scheme, describing the announcement as a major gift ahead of Diwali. The decision was taken by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 4, 2026.
Yogi Adityanath expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi
In a social media post, Yogi Adityanath expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for the decision, saying it would create further opportunities for Agniveers to continue serving in the Defence Forces. He highlighted the revised arrangement under which the remaining 75 per cent of Agniveers will be offered an additional two-year engagement period after completing their initial four-year tenure.
What Changes Under the Revised Agnipath Arrangement?
Under the existing provision, 25 per cent of Agniveers are selected for regular service in the Defence Forces on the basis of merit and organisational requirements after completing four years. The remaining 75 per cent were earlier expected to leave military service at the end of their initial engagement.
Under the revised arrangement approved by the Cabinet, this remaining group will now have the option of serving for another two years, subject to their willingness. After completing the additional period, they will be offered an opportunity to enrol as regular soldiers, provided they wish to continue and meet the prescribed selection criteria.
The government has also stated that the second engagement period will include higher remuneration, an enhanced Seva Nidhi package and seniority-related benefits. The Agnipath scheme itself will continue under the revised framework.
Centre Cites Performance Assessment of Agniveers
According to the Ministry of Defence, the decision followed a detailed assessment of the scheme’s implementation and feedback on the performance of Agniveers over the past four years. The ministry said their skills, motivation, physical fitness and technological capabilities had received positive assessments.
