🔴 By | Sonal Sharma
Kolkata: In a significant move aimed at providing new career opportunities to former Agniveers, the West Bengal government has announced 20% reservation in selected posts in the Police, Fire Brigade, Forest and Civil Defence departments.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the decision on Sunday, saying the state intends to utilise the discipline, military training and operational experience gained by Agniveers during their service.
🟡 Focus on uniformed and emergency services
The reservation covers departments where the skills of former military personnel can be particularly useful — including policing, firefighting, forest protection and civil defence.
The decision comes at a time when the first batch of Agniveers is approaching the completion of its four-year engagement. The Centre has also expanded employment opportunities for ex-Agniveers in Central Armed Police Forces, where a 50% reservation has been created for Constable (GD)/Rifleman recruitment, along with age relaxation and other concessions.
🟡 20% reservation marks a major shift
West Bengal had already announced a 10% reservation for Agniveers, wherever applicable, in its 2026-27 Budget while planning recruitment to one lakh vacant government posts. The latest announcement raises the reservation to 20% in the specified police, fire, forest and civil defence services.
The move puts West Bengal among the states and Union Territories that have introduced significant employment support for former Agniveers in security and emergency-related services.
🟡 New ‘Arjun Bahini’ disaster-response force
Alongside the reservation announcement, the state government is also moving ahead with a new disaster-response and civil-defence force known as ‘Arjun Bahini’.
According to the announcement, the force is planned with an initial strength of around 200 personnel, with deployment proposed across Kolkata, the hills and Sagar. The unit is intended to strengthen the state’s response to disasters, rescue operations and emergencies.
🟡 Why the decision matters
For Agniveers completing their military tenure, the biggest challenge has been finding meaningful employment after leaving the armed forces. The West Bengal government’s latest decision creates a direct pathway into public-safety services where military discipline, physical fitness and emergency-response experience can be valuable.
The detailed recruitment rules, eligibility conditions and implementation mechanism will determine how the 20% reservation is applied to individual posts.
