Agnipath plan took all three forces by surprise: Former Army chief Naravane

The armed forces were taken by surprise by the government's formulation of the Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment of soldiers, airmen and sailors, and argued for a greater number of personnel to be retained in service after the four-year tenure and for Agniveers to be paid better, as per former Army Chief Gen M M Naravane. According to a PTI report quoting his forthcoming memoir 'Four Stars of Destiny', Naravane sounded out the PM in early 2020 about a 'Tour of Duty' proposal, under which "a limited number" of jawans could be enrolled for a short term.