UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Cabinet creates a pathway for all Agniveers to be absorbed in Defence Forces

Q1. Consider the following statements in the context of the 2026 revision of the Agnipath Scheme: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Completing the second two-year engagement does not by itself make an Agniveer a regular soldier.
  2. Regular enrolment of Agniveers is a statutory entitlement under the Service Acts that the Armed Forces cannot decline once the engagement is complete.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q2. Consider the following statements about the Seva Nidhi under the Agnipath Scheme: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Paying Seva Nidhi to an exiting Agniveer under the original design creates no recurring financial liability for the Government after the Agniveer leaves service.
  2. Seva Nidhi is a one-time payout of the Agniveer's own contributions, an equal Government contribution and accrued interest, and no gratuity or pension accompanies it.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q3. The 2026 revision of the Agnipath Scheme gives the 75% of Agniveers not absorbed on merit a second two-year engagement, followed by an offer of regular enrolment. Compared with the original 2022 design, consider the following likely effects of this change: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A larger share of the trained personnel from each batch is likely to stay in uniform beyond the first four years.
  2. The average age profile of serving soldiers is likely to become younger than it would have been under the original design.
  3. Higher pay, an enhanced Seva Nidhi and seniority benefits in the second engagement raise what an Agniveer gives up by leaving early.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q4. With reference to the legal framework governing Agniveers and the reservations for ex-Agniveers, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Parliament had to enact a new statute for the Agnipath Scheme because the existing Service Acts could not cover enrolment for a fixed short term.
  2. The exemption of ex-Agniveers from the Physical Efficiency Test for Constable (GD) posts in the BSF is written into the parent BSF Act itself.
  3. Recruitment rules framed by executive notification are subordinate legislation and must stay within the limits of the parent Act under which they are made.
  • A. 2 only
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q5. Consider the following assertion: 'Even after the 2026 revision of the Agnipath Scheme, the Armed Forces keep control over the quality of personnel who enter the regular cadre.' Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion?

  1. After the second engagement, regular enrolment is offered only to Agniveers who are willing and who meet the selection criteria.
  2. Selection of Agniveers for the regular cadre rests solely with the Armed Forces.
  3. Agniveers serving the second engagement period receive higher pay and seniority benefits.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q6. Consider the following facts: Under the 2022 design of the Agnipath Scheme, up to 25% of each batch of Agniveers could enter the regular cadre, and the rest were to exit after four years with a lump-sum benefit and no pension. In 2026, after a review that considered feedback, organisational requirements and operational efficiency, the Union Cabinet, on the recommendations of the Indian Defence Forces, gave the remaining 75% a second two-year engagement followed by an offer of regular enrolment. Which of the following inferences can validly be drawn from the above facts?

  1. Policymakers gave more weight to retaining trained manpower than to strictly capping the size of the regular cadre drawn from each batch.
  2. The Agnipath Scheme has been discontinued and recruitment has reverted to the pre-2022 system.
  3. Every Agniveer will now necessarily serve in the Armed Forces until regular superannuation.
  4. The Defence Forces' experience with Agniveers during the first years of the scheme did not lead them to regard Agniveers as unsuitable for regular service.
  • A. 1 and 4 only
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only

Q7. Which of the following best describes how the original short-service design of the Agnipath Scheme differed from conventional long-service recruitment to the Armed Forces?

  • A. Entrants earn a defined pension after the fixed term, with the long-term liability shifted from the Union to the States
  • B. Entrants are engaged on civilian contracts outside the Service Acts, so military discipline law does not bind them
  • C. Most entrants leave after a fixed term with a lump sum, which holds down both the pension bill and the average age
  • D. All entrants serve a fixed term and are then automatically absorbed into the regular cadre to maximise retention