Navy Agniveers may participate in event

EIGHT AGNIVEERS, 3 WOMEN AND 5 MEN, WILL BE PART OF THE NAVAL CONTINGENT THAT IS REHEARSING FOR THE EVENT

NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy’s marching contingent at the upcoming Republic Day parade may feature a few Agniveers, including women, though a final call on their maiden participation is yet to be taken, officials familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Eight Agniveers – three women and five men – will be part of the naval contingent that is rehearsing for India’s biggest ceremonial event, said one of the officials on condition of anonymity. “The Agniveers have come from the INS Chilka training establishment in Odisha, and are likely to take part in the parade. The final decision on their participation will be taken by Sunday,” said another official.

The navy’s first batch of Agniveers, recruited under the new Agnipath scheme, consists of 3,000 trainees, including 341 women. The naval contingent of 144 sailors will be led by a woman officer, 29-year-old Lieutenant Commander Disha Amrith, who is from the navy’s aviation wing.

The Agniveers expected to take part in the parade began their training at INS Chilka in early December. The Agniveers who volunteered for the parade were selected on the basis of merit, said a third official.

The Agnipath model for short-term induction of soldiers into the three services is a major departure from the military’s decades-old recruitment system that was discontinued when the government announced the new scheme last year. It seeks to recruit soldiers for only four years, with a provision to retain 25% of them in regular service.

On January 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the Agnipath scheme as a “transformative policy” that would be a “game changer” in strengthening the military and making it ready for future challenges, while stressing that Agniveers will make the armed forces “more youthful and tech-savvy”.

The naval tableau, led by Lieutenant Commander Inderjeet Chauhan, will showcase the multi-dimensional capabilities of the navy, ‘Aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) and ‘Nari Shakti’ (women empowerment), officials said at a media briefing.

The tableau will reflect the navy’s vision of being “combat ready, credible, cohesive and future proof,” said Vice Admiral Suraj Berry, controller, personnel services.