Preparations to include Nepalis in Indian Army's Agneepath scheme

According to the Indian media, Nepalis will also be included in Agneepath, which was brought to reduce the rising salary and pension expenses of the Indian Army.

If this plan is implemented, the cost of salary and pension will be reduced by fifty percent. The Indian Army is gearing up to expand the Agneepath scheme and is set to recruit Nepalis into its seven Gurkha regiments under the new Agniveer scheme.

According to The Print, quoting defense and security sources, the Gorkhalis will be recruited for a period of four years, after which 25 percent of the Gorkhalis will be employed for a longer period. As per the plan, this recruitment process will be similar to that of Indian soldiers.

According to the report, according to the feedback given by the Gorkhalis, they are keen on recruitment.

History of the Gurkhas in the Indian Army

According to the tri-party agreement signed between Nepal, India, and Britain during India's independence, the Indian Army has been recruiting Nepali soldiers. Currently, the Gurkha Regiment recruits soldiers in seven regiments from India and Nepal for 43 battalions of the Indian Army. The regiments are (1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th, and 11th.

As noted by The Print, the Gurkha Regiment comprises 60 percent Nepali Gurkhas and the rest are Indian Gurkhas.

According to Indian media The Indian Express, India recruits around 1,400 soldiers into the Gurkha regiment annually. Similarly, 32,000 to 35,000 Nepalese soldiers are serving in the Indian Army. The number of Indian Army retirees in Nepal is 1.32 lakh.

Agneepath Scheme

As announced on 14 June, the Agneepath scheme initially called for the recruitment of youth from the age group of 17.5 to 21 years into the Indian Army for four years only. Only 25 percent of the youths enrolled in this scheme will be given jobs for more than 15 years.

There became a nationwide movement in India after the scheme was announced and reflecting the spirit of the movement, the Center has kept the age limit for recruitment up to 23 years. The officers to be recruited under this new scheme will be called Agniveer.