Hyderabad: The Indian Army will hold the Gachibowli Agniveer rally from 13 to 24 November at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, screening shortlisted candidates from all 33 districts of Telangana for four Agniveer categories.
The 12-day drive is part of recruitment for the 2027 recruiting year. It covers Agniveer General Duty, Agniveer Technical, Agniveer Tradesman (10th pass) and Agniveer Tradesman (8th pass).
Only candidates who cleared the online Common Entrance Examination (CEE) and received admit cards can take part. They must carry their admit cards and original documents to the stadium in Gachibowli, which falls in Rangareddy district.
The Army has warned aspirants against touts and agents who claim they can help secure selection, and told candidates to rely only on official communication.
The rally comes days after the Centre changed the terms of the Agnipath scheme. On 4 November, Chief of Defence Staff General N S Raja Subramani announced that the Union Cabinet had approved a two-year extension of the engagement period for Agniveers.
Under the scheme, introduced in 2022, Agniveers serve four years. Up to 25 per cent are selected for regular service. The rest leave with a Seva Nidhi package and a skill certificate.
The revision keeps the four-year term. The 25 per cent selected on merit will still join the regular forces after four years. The other 75 per cent, who were earlier set to leave, will now be offered two more years of service.
Six-year route raises stakes at Gachibowli Agniveer rally
Agniveers who take the extension will receive higher pay and an enhanced Seva Nidhi. After six years, all willing Agniveers will be enrolled in the armed forces, subject to objective selection criteria, the CDS said.
Subramani announced the change at a press conference with Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. He said Agniveers had been reviewed every year and the forces had decided a two-year extension was needed. The scheme was never set in stone, he said.
He said the Agnipath scheme had not been discontinued and would continue in its current form for the first four years.
The decision came weeks before around 18,000 personnel from the first batch were due to leave after four years. The three services had planned to begin releasing 75 per cent of the first batch in phases from mid-November.
Subramani said the arrangement benefited both sides. The extra two years would let Agniveers gain more experience, qualifications and skills, and give them another chance to be absorbed into regular service. Those not selected in the first four years would also get a chance to serve longer, he said.
The forces had recommended the extension for 75 per cent of Agniveers after their annual evaluations, according to the CDS.
The revised rules matter for candidates reporting at Gachibowli. Recruits who are not selected at the four-year mark can now serve two more years, with a second chance at permanent enrolment at the end.
The scheme has drawn criticism since its launch. Critics have argued that retaining only a quarter of each batch would leave a large number of trained young people without long-term jobs. The extension is the biggest change to the scheme so far.
Earlier Agniveer rallies for Telangana candidates have been held at the same Gachibowli stadium and at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Hanamkonda.
Candidates have been told to report on their allotted dates with all required originals, as entry to the venue depends on the admit card.