Agnipath: DFS holds meeting with banks, insurance firms; to identify ways to support Agniveers

New Delhi, Jun 16: The Ministry of Finance on Thursday said that the Secretary of Department of Financial services (DFS) held a meeting with CEOs of Public Sector Banks (PSBs), Public Sector Insurance Companies (PSICs) and Financial Institutions (FIs) to identify ways in which banks and financial institutes can support 'Agniveers' after the completion of their tenure of duty.

The Union Cabinet on 14th June approved a new recruitment scheme for Indian youth service in the Armed Forces called 'Agnipath' and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as 'Agniveers'. The scheme allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the Armed Forces for the period of four years.

"In order to identify ways in which the Banks and Financial Institutions can support the 'Agniveers' on completion of their tenure of duty, the Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS) held a meeting with Chief Executives of Public Sector Banks (PSBs), Public Sector Insurance Companies (PSICs) and Financial Institutions (FIs), today. In the meeting, Joint Secretary, Department of Military Affairs made a presentation on the salient aspects of the AGNIPATH scheme," the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

During the meeting, it was decided that PSBs, PSICs and FIs would explore employment opportunities for 'Agniveers' in suitable capacities based on their educational qualifications and skills through suitable benefits/relaxations, etc., it added.

It was also decided that Banks would explore possibilities of supporting 'Agniveers' through suitable credit facilities for skill upgradation, education for setting up businesses and to take up self-employment. The existing Government schemes such as MUDRA, Stand Up India etc. would be leveraged for extending such support to 'Agniveers'.

On the other hand, the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) is instituting a special programme in consultation with the defence authorities to enable Agniveers who have passed class 10 to further their education and obtain a class 12 pass certificate by developing customized courses that are relevant to their area of service, according to Ministry of Education (MoE) officials.

"The Ministry's Department of School Education and Literacy through its autonomous institution, the National Institute of Open Schooling, is instituting a special programme in consultation with the defence authorities to enable those Agniveers who have passed class 10, to further their education and obtain a class 12 pass certificate by developing customized courses that are not only current but very relevant to their area of service," a senior MoE official said.

"This certificate will be recognised for both employment and higher education purposes in the whole country. This will benefit the Agniveers to gain adequate educational qualification and skills to take up productive role in society later in life. The special programme of NIOS will facilitate enrolment, development of courses, student support, provision of self-learning material, accreditation of study centres, personal contact programme, evaluation and certification," the official said.

Meanwhile, there have been widespread protests across several states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Trains were set afire, windowpanes of buses smashed and passersby, including a ruling BJP MLA, pelted with stones in Bihar by defence job aspirants whose protest against the central scheme continued for the second consecutive day.