CAPF Quota for Agniveers: Centre Says Armed Forces to Prepare Eligibility List

The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided that the armed forces will provide the list of Agniveers eligible for recruitment into the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) under the government's reservation policy, a government source said. The decision means that former Agniveers may not be able to apply directly for the reserved quota in CAPFs; instead, the Army, Navy, and Air Force will furnish details of eligible candidates. The first batch of around 25,000 Agniveers is scheduled to retire from the Army by December.

CAPFs, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and Assam Rifles, have issued notifications in recent months specifying a 50% reservation for ex-Agniveers in constable-level vacancies. The Border Security Force (BSF) was the first to issue such a notification on December 19, 2025, enhancing the quota from 10% to 50%. The move is part of the government's efforts to integrate Agniveers into security forces after their four-year service tenure.

While recruitment into the armed forces itself is not based on caste reservations, the existing quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) will continue to apply for recruitment into the CAPFs, the official clarified. This ensures that the constitutional framework of reservation remains intact in the paramilitary forces.

To illustrate the scale, the CRPF, the largest CAPF with a total strength of around 3.3 lakh, typically recruits about 7,000 constables annually. Under the new framework, about 3,500 of these vacancies will be reserved for ex-Agniveers. If all reserved vacancies are not filled in the first phase of recruitment, the unfilled posts will be carried forward and added to the remaining 50% of vacancies to be filled through the open recruitment process in the second phase.

The decision to have the armed forces provide the list of candidates stems from the differing service tenures in the two forces. Personnel in CAPFs can serve up to the age of 60, whereas armed forces personnel retire much earlier. During deliberations, it was felt that many Agniveers would prefer to join CAPFs due to the longer career span and greater job security. The source said it has been decided, at least initially, that the armed forces—beginning with the Army, which will see the first batch retire later this year—will provide the CAPFs with a list of eligible candidates for recruitment under the reserved quota.

The Agnipath scheme, announced in 2022, faced violent protests when it was introduced, as it sought to retain only 25% of Agniveers in the armed forces. The MHA then announced a 10% reservation for Agniveers in CAPF vacancies, along with a five-year age relaxation for the first batch and three-year for subsequent batches. Several state police forces also announced reservations ranging from 10% to 30% for Agniveers. The recent increase to 50% is a significant boost.

According to the notifications, ex-Agniveers will be exempted from written examinations, physical standard tests, and physical efficiency tests. The CRPF's notification, issued on July 27, said recruitment to the post of Constable (General Duty) will be carried out through direct recruitment, with 50% of vacancies every recruitment year reserved for ex-Agniveers. In the first phase, the concerned nodal force will conduct recruitment for the reserved vacancies; in the second phase, the remaining 50% will be filled via open recruitment. Unfilled reserved vacancies will be added to the second phase.

The policy is expected to streamline the absorption of Agniveers into permanent security roles, but its implementation will be watched closely, especially the sourcing of candidates from armed forces lists. The government has stated that this approach is necessary to manage preferences and ensure a smooth transition for Agniveers seeking longer careers.