Agniveer 2026 — Age Limit, Eligibility, Salary, Selection Process & Benefits

What Is the Agnipath Scheme?

Agnipath is the central government's programme for recruiting youth into the Armed Forces for a fixed 4-year tenure. Recruits are called Agniveers. After 4 years, 25% of Agniveers from each batch are selected for permanent enrollment in the regular cadre of their respective service (Army, Navy, Air Force). The remaining 75% receive a one-time Seva Nidhi (corpus fund) and return to civilian life. The scheme was launched in June 2022 and replaces the earlier recruitment model for non-officer ranks.

Age Limit for Agniveer 2026

The original age limit was 17.5–21 years. This was revised upward for the 2022 and 2023 batches to 17.5–23 years as a one-time relaxation. From 2024 onwards, the age limit reverted to 17.5–21 years for all three services (Army, Navy, Air Force). For Agniveer 2026: candidates must be between 17.5 and 21 years of age on the date of enrolment. This means candidates born between approximately October 2004 and April 2009 are eligible for the 2026 cycle. No OBC/SC/ST age relaxation applies under Agnipath — the age limit is the same for all categories.

Qualification and Physical Standards

Army Agniveer General Duty: Class 10 pass with minimum 45% aggregate and 33% in each subject. Agniveer Technical (Army): Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, Maths, and English — 50% aggregate, 40% in each subject. Navy Agniveer: Class 10 with 60% marks in Maths and Science. Air Force Agniveer Vayu: Class 12 with Physics, Maths, and English. Physical standards vary by trade — height requirements range from 152 cm to 170 cm depending on the trade. Medical standards are the same as regular army/navy/air force enrollment. Eye standards are strict — candidates with spectacles should check service-specific requirements.

Salary and Agniveer Corpus Fund

Year 1: Monthly package ₹30,000. In-hand ₹21,000 (30% deducted for corpus fund). Year 2: ₹33,000 package, ₹23,100 in-hand. Year 3: ₹36,500 package, ₹25,550 in-hand. Year 4: ₹40,000 package, ₹28,000 in-hand. Seva Nidhi (corpus fund) at the end of 4 years: approximately ₹11.71 lakh. The government matches the Agniveer's 30% contribution. The Seva Nidhi is tax-free. Additionally, Agniveers get non-contributory insurance cover of ₹48 lakh for the 4-year period.

Selection Process

The Agnipath selection process has three stages. Stage 1 — Online Common Entrance Test (CETs): Computer-based objective test covering General Knowledge, Maths, Physics, and English. Each service conducts its own CET through their respective recruitment boards. Stage 2 — Physical Fitness Test (PFT): 1.6 km run, pull-ups, sit-ups, balance test. Standards vary by service and trade. Stage 3 — Medical Examination: Conducted at the specified military hospital. Final merit is determined by CET marks. Physical and Medical are qualifying stages.

Post-Service Opportunities After 4 Years

25% permanent enrollment: Selected Agniveers continue in regular service with full pension benefits after completion of service. This selection is merit-based within each batch. For the 75% who exit: The central government has announced priority in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) recruitment with age relaxation and marks weightage. Many state governments have announced priority in state police and other state government jobs. The Seva Nidhi of ₹11.71 lakh can fund further education, business startup, or skill development. The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW) runs a dedicated skilling programme for ex-Agniveers.

Frequently Asked Questions