It has been highlighted that integrating 'Agniveers' released after four years of military serivce into Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) would be challenging because of vastly different roles they play and differences in work cultures.
These reports have coincided with the Union Home Ministry's announcement that Agniveers relased after four years would have 10 per cent reservation in CAPFs and Assam Rifles.
While CAPFs such as Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Border Security Force (BSF), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) are border protection forces whose functions range from border policing to anti-smuggling activities and VVIP security, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) provides security to important industrial units and VVIPs, frisks metro passengers, among other tasks. All of these roles are vastly different from military duties that Agniveers would be trained in.
Moreover, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is engaged, along with other CAPFs as and when required, in a range of functions from counter-insurgency to helping police forces in law and order situations.
"It would also be a challenge to keep these 'Agniveers' motivated because after serving in the army they would be forced to join a smaller para military force just for the purpose of employment," said another officer in an NDTV report, adding that the CAPFs would have to deal with the psychological aspect of recruits too.
Moreover, it has been highlighted that there is already a 10 per cent quota for former military personnel in CAPFs.
The integration of Agniveers into CAPFs also goes against the stand that Home Ministry has taken in recent yeares, according to The Wire.
It reported that the Union Home Ministry in recent years has "steadfastly" maintained that the "terms and type of service in the CAPF differed widely from that of the Indian Army, and that the two could not operationally and administratively collate".
It further reported, "It also backed up this logic with the even more forceful argument that ‘fauji culture’ contrasted adversely with the CAPF ethos, and hence inducting army personnel into the latter, was simply ‘unworkable’."
It has also been said that the appeal of armed forces among the youth would fall. If they have to serve in the military for just four years and then look for state police forces and CAPFs for the rest of their lives, then why not try directly for CAPFs and state police?
Agniveers would also need to be retrained, meaning they would need to unlearn the previous training and imbibe new ethos afresh.
"The 'Agniveers' will be trained but the requirements for the CAPFs are different," said another officer of a paramilitary force in the NDTV report.
