Agniveers get two more years: Cabinet clears a 'second tour of duty'
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said willing Agniveers can stay on and be enrolled as regular soldiers after four or six years if they meet selection criteria.
- Extension: 2 years
- Total possible service: 6 years
- Announced: 4 November 2026
What changed
The Union Cabinet cleared a two-year extension, called a 'Second Tour of Duty', for Agniveers, and Rajnath Singh announced it on 4 November. It is meant for the roughly 75% who would otherwise have left after four years.
Singh said willing Agniveers can be enrolled as regular soldiers after four or six years of service if they qualify, and officials said the scheme itself has not been rolled back.
Open questions
Coverage differs on the details: some outlets say only the 25% selected on merit are absorbed directly while the rest get the extension option, others describe the whole cohort as eligible for regular enrolment.
Reports also mention higher pay and a bigger Seva Nidhi package, while AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi has asked whether extended Agniveers will get the same benefits as regular soldiers.
