The defence ministry is exploring the possibility of providing additional incentives to Agniveers if they are medically boarded out for suffering disabilities during their training period of six months, which is attributed to or aggravated by military training, senior government officials told News18.
Under the Agnipath scheme launched last month, Agniveers will have a total service tenure of four years, of which the training period will be of six months. The training period will not be exclusive of the service period.
Under the scheme, an Agniveer getting medically boarded out due to disabilities suffered at any point of time during the four years of service is entitled to get the full pay for the remaining months of service as well as Rs 11.75 lakh under the Seva Nidhi scheme.
However, defence sources said there have been at least two meetings in the last 10 days—attended by senior officials from the defence ministry and officers from the services—where it was discussed that the current benefits might be inadequate for Agniveers who may get medically boarded out due to disabilities suffered.
“It is being discussed if some other incentives—monetary or others such as fixed employment opportunities—can be provided to the Agniveers who suffer disabilities during their training,” a source in the government told News18.
What Do the Rules Say?
At present, for all other ranks in the defence services, the training period is part of the overall service tenure.
So any disability suffered by them attributable or aggravated by military training or service which results in them getting medically boarded out is compensated by a disability pension depending on the percentage of disability suffered, aside from their regular pension.
The maximum disability pension provided is 30% of the last pay drawn.
However, officer trainees who get boarded out for disabilities suffered during their military training are currently not eligible for pensions. This is because their service tenure starts only after they get commissioned at the end of their training period.
Last year, the armed forces had brought a fresh proposal to provide pension for officers suffering disabilities during their training, but there has been no further progress on it.
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