NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, January 17,  interacted with the first batch of 'Agniveers' through video conference.

Agniveers are candidates who have been temporarily enlisted in the Indian military under the recently implemented Agnipath programme of the Central government.

Rajnath Singh, the defence minister, also joined the video call. On June 14 of last year, the Agnipath programme was revealed. In its groundbreaking programme to modernise the armed forces, the Modi government sought to enlist young people between the ages of 17 and a half and 21 for a period of four years, with the option of keeping 25% of them for an additional 15 years.

However, as a one-time relief gesture for those applicants who were preparing for the armed forces, the maximum age limit was raised to 23 years for 2022. Opposition parties harshly criticised the scheme. The Modi administration persisted in asserting that the change will modernise and  make more youthful and cater to its current needs.

At the Artillery Center in Golconda, Hyderabad, the first batch of Agniveers' training began last week. The majority of the 40 000 firemen who will be enlisted in the Army this year will receive their training in Hyderabad. The initial cohort of Agniveers will continue to receive training for an additional eight months.

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