Short Service Commission vs Agnipath Scheme - Know The Difference

The recent controversy surrounding the Agnipath scheme has left the country's youngsters in a state of panic and protest. The government's decision to introduce the scheme to serve in the Indian armed forces has not gone too well with its applicants.

#Agnipath Protests | over 500 protestors ransacked and arsoned the BJP office in Madhepura, Bihar. pic.twitter.com/J5vumA9UzF

¡ª Pankaj Jha (@Pankajjha_inc) June 17, 2022

We decided to explain the difference between short service commission and the Agnipath scheme to make things easier for those who don't understand the whole picture yet.

So, what is short service commission?

Under this scheme, the Army allows a 10-year-service with an option of a 4-year extension.

Which brings us to the question, what is the Agnipath scheme?

The Agnipath scheme will let 'Agniveers' serve for only 4 years.

For short commission in the Indian Army, training takes place at the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai.

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There is also a permanent commission which provides a career in the armed forces till retirement. For this, recruits join the National Defence Academy or the Indian Military Academy.

If selected under short service commission, soldiers can also apply for permanent commission when their tenure ends. However, candidates under the Agniveer scheme can only apply to join the regular cadre after four years.

Out of the total recruits, only 25 per cent will be selected to continue for another 15 years under permanent commission.

For permanent commission in the Indian Army, applicants can take the NDA exam after class 11.

NDA

For Agnipath, candidates can apply after class 10 or 12. Also, for induction under the latest scheme, the same existing rules for medical and fitness are applied. The Agnipath scheme also offers death and disability allowance. However, Agniveers will not be eligible for pension benefits.

This latest scheme has been set into place after the Indian military has gone two years without recruitment due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The scheme will also reduce the average age from 32 to 26 years.

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