Navy Chief Terms Agniveer Extension As A Significant Diwali Gift

Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi praised the Agniveer scheme's service extension as a "Diwali gift," calling it a win-win for personnel and the armed forces during the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue in New Delhi.

Navy Chief Praises Agniveer Service Extension

Terming the reported extension of service for 75 per cent of outgoing Agniveers a "Diwali gift," former Chief of the Naval Staff Dinesh K Tripathi has stated that the move presents a "win-win situation" for both the personnel and the armed forces. Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the sixth edition of the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD), he weighed in on key developments, including the Agniveer scheme, regional maritime cooperation, and the Indian Navy’s recent rescue of 20 Iranian crew members.

Reacting to queries regarding the government’s reported decision to extend the tenure of Agniveers set to complete their terms, he welcomed the move, noting that it benefits both the personnel and the armed forces. "I haven't read the decision because I was obviously at the conference here, but I've been told that the 75 per cent of Agniveers retiring at the end of this month from different services, the Navy's were the first, have had their service extended by two years," he told ANI.

"So this is a very good thing. I'd call it a Diwali gift for those 75 per cent of Agniveers. For them, their families, their friends, and the army. It's also good for the army to have this trained manpower for two more years. You couldn't ask for anything better. It's a great win-win situation for everyone," he added.

Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue

Highlighting the ongoing Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue, he elaborated on the partnership between the Indian Navy and the National Maritime Foundation (NMF) to foster multilateral maritime deliberations. "The Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue, which is in its sixth edition, is the Indian Navy's flagship event. The National Maritime Foundation curates it, designs the program, plans it, and executes it as a knowledge partner. So at the National Maritime Foundation, we are honored that the Indian Navy chose us as their knowledge partner," he said.

He further explained that this year’s deliberations are aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). "This year's theme is the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, which was announced by our honourable Prime Minister in 2019. It has seven pillars, and every year we pick one pillar at this IPRD. We go into detail on it and discuss with our experts in India and foreign experts who come from abroad what we can do about it," he said.

"So this year's subject is something we have chosen for the first time: Science, Technology, and Academic Cooperation within the Indo-Pacific. This program started yesterday and wrapped up today. Tomorrow is the last day. We had some great discussions and good speakers who spoke openly. After this, we will make a report and send a copy to the government to show what we discussed, what the conclusions were, and what we should do next," he added.

Naval Operations and Diplomatic Role

Responding to a question on the Indian Navy's recent rescue operation that saved 20 Iranian nationals at sea, earning official gratitude from Tehran, he outlined the four core tenets governing modern naval operations. "The roles of any navy—and especially the Indian Navy, which is a major navy—have four main classic roles. First is the military role, which is the wartime role. Second is the constabulary role, which is about how to stop transnational crimes at sea," he stated.

"Then there's the third one, which is our benign role, where we in the sea... have to save someone, or do some HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) type work," he noted.

Underlining the diplomatic reach of naval assets, he concluded: "The fourth role is diplomatic, because we believe that every sailor and every ship is a mobile diplomat for India. This is true not just for us, but for navies all over the world. It's a unique feature of navies that any ship can go to any port with permission, and we don't even need passports in most countries. So that's how navies operate...."

Agniveer Scheme Progress

On August 10, 2024, Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi praised the Agniveer scheme during the passing-out parade of the fourth batch of Agniveers in Odisha, stating that the initiative is progressing well. Admiral Tripathi noted that over 2,500 Agniveers have completed their training in the first three batches.

"I was the Chief of Personnel in 2022 when the Agnipath scheme was introduced. Now, two years later, we have just seen the fourth batch pass out on Friday from our premier training establishment, INS Chilka. The scheme is going well. We have trained more than 2,500 Agniveers in the first three batches," Tripathi said.

"This batch includes nearly 1,429 Agniveers, with around 300 of them being women. I have observed the Agniveers here at Chilka during the first batch, seen them on ships, and again today. I see great hope in them--they are highly motivated, enthusiastic, and I am confident they are fully integrated into the Indian Navy," he added.

The passing out parade (POP) of the fourth batch of Agniveers was held at INS Chilka, the Indian Navy's premier training establishment in Odisha. (ANI)

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