Following mass protests against the Agnipath scheme, the centre announced on Saturday that Agniveers would get a 10% reservation when recruiting the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and the Assam Rifles.

The Home Ministry has also decided to relax the eligibility criteria for 3-year-olds to recruit 17.5-21-year-old Agniveers for CAPF and Assam rifles. Notably, the first batch of recruits will be five years older than the stated age limit.

Protests against Agnipath have erupted in several states since Wednesday. Amid fierce protests by aspirants, the central government waived the scheme’s age cap in one go, raising it from 21 to 23.

Defence job seekers have expressed concerns about their next steps, as only 25% of soldiers recruited through the scheme are still employed four years after completion. Youth recruited through the Agnipath scheme but not recruited will be released without pension benefits.

Those opposed to the Agnipath recruitment scheme have called for reduced rules for years of service, no early release of superannuation, and an age limit of 17.5 to 21, making many ineligible.