Centre asks states to ensure ex-Agniveers are recruited by pvt security agencies

The Centre has asked all states and Union territories to ensure the recruitment of ex-Agniveers into private security agencies and training institutes as they have experience working in the armed forces, officials said on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Home Affairs communication has been sent to all states and UTs as part of the further career progression of ex-Agniveers on completion of their term with the armed forces.
In June 2022, the government rolled out the Agnipath recruitment scheme with the aim of bringing down the age profile of the three services.
The Agnipath scheme provides for recruiting youths between the age bracket of 17-and-a-half years and 21 years for four years, with a provision to retain 25 per cent of them for 15 more years. The first batch of Agniveers will end their four-year term next year. “The undersigned is directed to refer to the subject cited above and to convey that pursuant to a high-level meeting, Police-ll Division of this Ministry has informed that it has been directed to work out a system for ensuring absorption of Agniveers by the security provider agencies outsourced by the government department agencies, banks, etc.
“The Division has further conveyed that considering the huge recruitment in the security agencies, the top 10 security provider agencies may be sensitised to absorb Agniveers,” said a letter written by the MHA to controlling authorities for Private Security Agencies Regulation Act (PSARA) of the states/UTs on September 11.
Citing Section 10(3) of the PSARA which stipulates the provision of giving preference in employment to the persons who have served in the armed forces, the letter said every private security agency may, while employing a person as a private security guard, give preference to a person who has served as a member in one or more of the following, namely Army, Navy, Air Force or any other armed forces of the Union, police, including armed constabularies of states and Home Guards.