Ex-Agniveer quota in BSF constable recruitment raised to 50%: Ministry of Home Affairs

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has significantly increased the reservation for former Agniveers in the recruitment of constables in the Border Security Force (BSF), raising the quota from 10 per cent to 50 per cent, according to a notification published in the Official Gazette.

The revised provisions also grant age relaxation to ex-Agniveer candidates. Those belonging to the first batch of Agniveers will be eligible for an upper age relaxation of up to five years, while candidates from subsequent batches will receive a three-year age concession.

The changes have been notified through the Border Security Force, General Duty Cadre (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment (Amendment) Rules, 2025, issued on December 18. The rules amend the BSF General Duty Cadre (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment Rules, 2015, and will come into force from the date of their publication in the Gazette.

As per the amended rules, 50 per cent of constable (General Duty) vacancies in the BSF will be reserved for ex-Agniveers in every recruitment year. In addition, 10 per cent of vacancies will continue to be reserved for ex-servicemen, while up to three per cent will be earmarked for the absorption of annual vacancies among combatised constables (tradesmen) through direct recruitment.

The notification also outlines a two-phase recruitment process. In the first phase, recruitment for the 50 per cent vacancies reserved for ex-Agniveers will be conducted by the designated nodal force. In the second phase, the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) will carry out recruitment for the remaining 47 per cent of vacancies including the 10 per cent reserved for ex-servicemen along with any unfilled ex-Agniveer vacancies from the first phase. Vacancies for female candidates will be determined annually by the Director General of the BSF based on functional requirements.

The crucial date for determining the age limit will be specified in the recruitment advertisement issued by the SSC or the concerned nodal force. The notification further clarifies that ex-Agniveers will be exempted from the Physical Standard Test (PST) and Physical Efficiency Test (PET), while physical and medical standards will be applicable as prescribed by the Central government from time to time.

The move is aimed at facilitating the absorption of trained Agniveers into the BSF and strengthening the force with experienced personnel.