An army recruitment rally will be held at Shri Abdul Kalam Azad Sports Stadium, Kausa Valley Mumbra, in the Thane district of Maharashtra from September 20 to October 10.

The recruitment rally to be held by Army Recruiting Office, Mumbai will be for the categories of Agniveer General Duty, Agniveer Technical, Agniveer Clerk/ Store Keeper Technical, Agniveer Tradesman (10th Pass) and Agniveer Tradesman (8th Pass).  

Candidates who are domiciles of Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban, Nashik, Raigarh, Palghar, Thane, Nandurbar and Dhule are eligible to participate in the rally and required to register and apply online on the Indian Army website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in.

Queries can be made through the same website or on contact no. 022-22153510. After successful registration candidates will receive their admit cards on their e mail IDs.  

Prospective candidates will be screened district and tehsil wise as per date mentioned on their admit card. The candidates will be biometrically verified and admit cards for the rally will be scanned before allowing candidates to undergo actual selection tests which is in three phases, viz, physical tests, medical tests and common entrance examination (written exam). Those found physically and medically fit will undergo the CEE in November 2022.

The candidates selected in the final merit will then be called upon to join the Indian Army as Agniveer.  All required assistance and  infrastructure will be provided by the state and district administration for carrying out of the process.  

Candidates have been advised to follow correct procedure for online registration and carefully fill in their details. They are required to carry to the rally site all requisite original certificates / documents alongwith attested photocopies including the mandatory affidavit (duly notarized) as per instructions given in the official notification.

The candidates have also been advised to do a basic medical pre-inspection at their own  end for  smooth participation  in the recruitment rally by the army .

The army has advised candidates not to fall prey to touts as entire recruitment process is fair, transparent, free and automated.

“Any tout approaching any candidate must be brought to the notice of military officials/ police,” a statement from PRO Defence said.  

Last month, after approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Agniveer, a new scheme for recruitment to the armed forces, was rolled out. The  Indian army had announced that the registrations for the same will open from July.

The scheme has been brought in to lower the age profile of the Indian Armed Forces and contain the ballooning pension bill as a major chunk of the budget has been going into salaries and pensions and the long-awaited modernization projects of the armed forces have been getting delayed. To meet shortage of personnel in the armed forces in the last two years, the recruitment process will help the Indian Army to induct around 40,000 soldiers in the first phase.

The recruitment will be held either directly through educational institutions or through recruitment rallies and the Agniveer will serve for a short period of 4 years and will not get any pension. The Army has said that Agniveers  would form a distinct rank in the Indian Army which would be different from any other existing ranks and the release of an Agniveer  at their own request prior to completion of terms of engagement is not permitted. The army has said that  based on organisational requirements and policies promulgated, Agniveers  after completing their engagement period in each batch will be offered an opportunity to apply for enrolment in the regular cadre.

Young men and women between the age of 17.5 years and 21 years will be eligible for the recruitment after clearing all the levels of tests and  known as Agniveers.

Out of the 4-year tenure, the first six months of these Agniveers will go into rigorous training and the balance 3.5 will be in active service.

Training for those getting into the army will be between 10 weeks and six months. For Navy, training will be almost 16 weeks and two weeks will have to be spent on sea training. For IAF chosen candidates will  have to meet all the medical eligibility conditions as laid down for enrolment  applicable to the respective categories/trades.

Agniveers will be barred from disclosing classified information gained during the four-year service period to any unauthorised person or source under the Official Secrets Act, 1923.