Eeshna Dashottar, Pune
On September 26 2024, the Indo-Russian aerospace and defence venture, BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL), officially announced the reservation of jobs for Agniveers recruited under the Government of India’s Agnipath scheme.
This is a unique step in the field as the corporation has become the first public sector undertaking (PSU) to take such an initiative. In their official post on X (formerly Twitter), BAPL mentioned that these new policy guidelines are aimed at providing job roles to Agniveers who have completed their four-year service so that they join the corporation and contribute to BAPL’s efforts towards nation building.
The company, which is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia, released an official notification stating that around 15% of vacancies under the technical and general administration at different centres will be reserved for Agniveers. Along with that, around 50% of security and administrative positions at their varied centres would be specifically allotted to these candidates.
BAPL has taken this step to acknowledge the efforts of the Agniveers, stating that they hold a vital position in the advanced defence organisation of the country. They also mentioned that these candidates, with their efficient training, qualifications, discipline, and motivation would become important assets to the venture. This step is centred around catering to the support and opportunities for Agniveers who are entering their civilian life post-service in the defence sector.
The corporation further stated that third-party contract staffing would be the method used for acquiring 15% of contractual roles for Agniveers. The selection process will be based on parameters like experience and qualifications suitable for technical job roles. BAPL has also stated in their official order that they would encourage associated industry partners to take in at least 15% of Agniveer candidates in their organisations for working on roles related to BAPL.
As BAPL becomes the first renowned company to officially take such a step, it is expected that many such defence public sector undertakings will follow the same and additionally also provide age relaxations for the recruitment of Agniveer candidates. A few states like Rajasthan and Haryana have also followed similar job reservation schemes for Agniveers in the police forces of the states.