Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday, 22 June 2026 announced a significant policy decision extending a 20 per cent reservation to ex-Agniveers in Class-3 direct recruitment across various state government departments, along with age relaxations and exemptions from physical fitness tests.

Context

Posting on X, CM Patel stated — 'પૂર્વ અગ્નિવીરો માટે મહત્ત્વનો નિર્ણય' ('An important decision for ex-Agniveers') — that the state government has decided to provide a 20 per cent reservation in Class-3 cadre direct recruitment across various departments. Ex-Agniveers will be exempted from the mandatory physical fitness test and will receive an age relaxation of up to three years beyond the prescribed upper age limit.

For members of the first batch of the Agnipath scheme, the age relaxation has been extended further to five years, acknowledging that this cohort faces the earliest transition out of service with fewer civilian opportunities established at the time of their enrolment.

Policy Backdrop

The Agnipath scheme was launched by the Union Government in June 2022 as a short-service military recruitment model, offering four-year contracts to young recruits called Agniveers. The rollout triggered widespread protests, with recruits expressing concern over limited post-service employment prospects and the absence of pension benefits.

In response, several BJP-governed states began introducing horizontal reservations, age concessions, and physical-test waivers to facilitate the absorption of ex-Agniveers into uniformed state services. Gujarat's latest order is consistent with this broader policy pattern, targeting specific uniformed cadres where military-trained personnel can be most effectively deployed.

Stakeholders and Impact

The benefits announced by CM Patel will apply to recruitment for Armed Police Sub-Inspector, Armed Police Constable, SRP Platoon Commander, and Police Constable posts under the Gujarat Police. The order also covers Jailer Group-2 and Jail Sipahi posts under the Jail Department, as well as Forest Guard Class-3 and Forest Officer Class-3 cadres under the Forest and Environment Department.

Ex-Agniveers seeking government employment in Gujarat — particularly those from the first batch now completing their four-year service — stand to benefit directly, gaining a competitive edge through the combined advantages of reservation, age relaxation, and physical-test exemption.

What's Next

State departments are expected to revise their recruitment advertisements to incorporate the 20 per cent horizontal quota and the revised age-limit provisions. The utilisation rate of the five-year age relaxation by the first Agniveer cohort will be a key metric to watch as recruitment cycles open across police, jail, and forest cadres.

If uptake is strong, the Gujarat model could serve as a template for other states still finalising their own ex-Agniveer absorption frameworks, reinforcing the Centre's effort to make the Agnipath scheme more palatable to recruits and their families.