UP to provide 20 per cent reservation for Agniveers in police department

The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday decided to provide 20 per cent reservation for Agniveers in direct recruitment to several positions in the state police force.

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The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said the move aims to provide meaningful post-service opportunities to Agniveers, who have completed their four-year term under the Agnipath scheme.

"This is a significant decision. The reservation will be applicable across categories — general, SC, ST, and OBC. If an Agniveer belongs to the SC category, the reservation will apply within SC; if OBC, then within OBC,” he explained.

He added that special age relaxation of up to three years will also be provided to Agniveers applying for these posts.

There are four categories--constable police, constable PAC, mounted police and fireman --in which recruitment will be made.

The first batch of recruits under this system will come out in 2026, he said.

“Several states and central forces have already taken initiative to provide reservation to Agniveers. States like Haryana and Odisha have offered 10 per cent reservation to former Agniveers. The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has now approved 20 per cent horizontal reservation, which is a bold and generous initiative,” Khanna said.

“This not only recognises their service but ensures they can continue contributing to the nation's security infrastructure after their military stint,” he said.

The Centre introduced the Agnipath scheme in 2022 for short-term induction of personnel in the Army, Navy and Air Force with an aim to bring down the age profile of the three services.