Centre Directs States, UTs to Ensure Private Security Firms Hire Ex-Agniveers

The Centre has issued a sweeping directive to all states and Union territories, compelling them to ensure that leading private security companies actively recruit ex-Agniveers, citing their rigorous four-year training in the armed forces as ideal preparation for high-stakes roles in government-outsourced agencies, banks, corporate campuses, and critical infrastructure protection, according to a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) communication released Tuesday.

Dated September 11 and addressed to all controlling authorities under the Private Security Agencies Regulation Act (PSARA), the MHA letter explicitly invokes Section 10(3) of the Act, which legally mandates that private security agencies give employment preference to individuals with prior service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, central police organizations, state armed constabularies, or Home Guards. “With nearly four years of disciplined military exposure, Agniveers represent a ready and reliable talent pool for guard and supervisory positions,” the directive states, urging officials to proactively sensitize and incentivize the nation’s top 10 security service providers to integrate ex-Agniveers into their hiring pipelines.

The move stems from a high-level inter-ministerial meeting and follows a June 2025 government notification that formally tasked the MHA with orchestrating seamless post-service career pathways for Agniveers. Launched in 2022, the Agnipath scheme recruits youth aged 17.5 to 21 for a four-year tenure, retaining only 25% for an additional 15 years of regular service; the inaugural batch is set to complete its term in 2026, releasing thousands of trained personnel into the civilian job market annually.

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Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and Assam Rifles have already earmarked 10% of Constable (General Duty) and Rifleman vacancies exclusively for ex-Agniveers, alongside age-limit relaxations of up to five years and full exemption from the Physical Efficiency Test. Several central ministries and public-sector undertakings have announced similar absorption plans, while states such as Haryana and Rajasthan have pledged dedicated quotas within their state police recruitment drives.

By pushing private-sector integration, the Centre aims to prevent any employment gap for the 75% of Agniveers who exit after four years, transforming a potential challenge into a strategic national asset: a steady supply of battle-ready, disciplined security professionals for India’s booming private security industry, which employs over 9 million personnel and is projected to grow further with rising infrastructure and urban demands.

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