BSF Constable Recruitment: Good news for ex-Agniveers! Important update on quota, age relaxation norms

According to a gazette notification issued by the Home Ministry on December 18, the quota for ex-Agniveer for constable recruitment in BSF has been raised from 10 percent to 50 percent.

According to the notification, the first batch of ex-Agniveers will also get upper age-limit relaxation up to five years, while the rest of the ex-Agniveers will get relaxation of three years.

The notification further said that the ex-Agniveers shall also be exempted from Physical Standard Test and Physical Efficiency Test.

As per the notification, the increase has been made by amending the Border Security Force, General Duty Cadre (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment Rules, 2015. The notification said that by direct recruitment (including 50 percent), vacancies shall be reserved for ex-Agniveers in every recruitment year, ten percent for ex-Servicemen, and up to three percent for Combatised Constable (Tradesmen) in absorption of annual vacancy.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by clauses (b) and (c) of sub-section (2) of section 141 of the Border Security Force Act,1968 (47 of 1968), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Border Security Force, General Duty Cadre (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment Rules, 2015, namely:-1. (1) These rules may be called the Border Security Force, General Duty Cadre (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment (Amendment) Rules. 2025. (2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette," the notification mentions.As per the new rules, “fifty per cent vacancies in the BSF shall be reserved for ex-Agniveers in every recruitment year, ten per cent from ex-servicemen and upto three per cent for absorption of annual vacancy amongst combatised constables (tradesmen) by direct recruitment,” the notification read.

“In the first phase, the recruitment shall be conducted by the Nodal Force for fifty per cent vacancies earmarked for ex-Agniveers. In the second phase, recruitment shall be conducted by the Staff Selection Commission for candidates other than ex-Agniveers for the remaining forty-seven per cent (including ten per cent ex-Servicemen) for the vacancies alongwith the unfilled vacancies of ex-Agniveers in a specific category in the first stage. The vacancies for female candidates shall be calculated on a year-to-year basis by the Director General Border Security Force on a functional requirement basis,” reads the notification.

As per the notification, the crucial date for the determination of the age limit shall be as advertised by the Staff Selection Commission or the concerned nodal force.

“The upper age- limit shall be relaxable upto five years for the candidates of the first batch of ex- Agniveers. The upper age limit shall be relaxable upto three years for the candidates of ex-Agniveers,” the Home Ministry said in the notification.

It further stated that the physical and medical standards for recruitment to the post of Constable (General Duty) shall be applicable as per the scheme prescribed by the Central government from time to time.

It also added that “ex-Agniveers shall be exempted from Physical Standard Test and Physical Efficiency Test.”