Belagavi, Karnataka:The Indian Air Force achieved a milestone as 153 Agniveervayu (women) were inducted into its non-officer cadre. The recruits, part of the 2,280 graduating from Airmen Training School Belagavi, completed 22 weeks of training. Wing Commander Ashish Moghe stated, “This day would be etched in IAF’s history as the first batch of Agniveervayu (women) marched shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts.”
Air Marshal R Radhish, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the IAF’s Training Command, reviewed the parade. This development follows the navy’s induction of women in the personnel below officer rank (PBOR) cadre in March 2023 under the Agnipath recruitment scheme.
The Agnipath model, introduced by the defence ministry on June 14, 2022, aims to lower the armed forces’ age profile, ensuring a fitter military. Agniveers, recruited under this scheme, serve for four years with a provision to retain 25% in the regular cadre for an additional 15 years after screening.
Agniveers receive an annual salary of ₹4.76 lakh in the first year, ₹6.92 lakh in the fourth, non-contributory insurance cover of ₹48 lakh, and an additional ex-gratia payment of ₹44 lakh for service-related deaths. Those released after four years get a severance package of ₹11.71 lakh, job quotas in government organizations, paramilitary forces, and other departments.
The passing out parade marked the culmination of basic military and stream-based training, enhancing the physical, intellectual, and moral capabilities of Agniveervayu, essential to the ethos of an air warrior, as mentioned by Wing Commander Ashish Moghe.
