UP’S 20 PERCENT QUOTA FOR EX-AGNIVEERS IN POLICE

Source: All India Radio, 3 June 2025

Lucknow: The UP Agniveer reservation was one of the first large state quotas for Agniveers. On 3 June 2025, the state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, approved 20 per cent reservation for former Agniveers in direct recruitment to several posts in the state police. With the first Agniveer batches now beginning to leave the armed forces in October 2026, the UP Agniveer reservation is back in focus. This article explains what the decision says and where it stands today.

What the UP Agniveer reservation says

The Uttar Pradesh government approved 20 per cent reservation for former Agniveers in direct recruitment for four types of posts:

• Constable in the civil police
• Constable in the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC)
• Mounted police
• Fireman

The state government said the move was meant to give post-service employment to youth who have served under the Agnipath scheme and to support their integration into civil services after four years in the armed forces.

Age relaxation and category rules

Along with the quota, the government decided to give special age relaxation of up to three years to Agniveers applying for these posts. The official order was issued by Sanjay Prasad, Principal Secretary (Home).

Reports explain that the reservation operates within the existing categories. For example, if a former Agniveer belongs to the Scheduled Caste category, the reservation is counted within the SC category itself. This is the horizontal method, which allows candidates from all categories to benefit without disturbing the vertical reservation.

What was said at the time

Cabinet Minister Suresh Khanna, who announced the decision, said the first batch of Agniveers would come out in 2026 and that the quota would help them find work in the state police. He also noted that several forces and states had offered 10 per cent reservation, while Uttar Pradesh had gone further by approving 20 per cent. Reports from the time said the Haryana government had earlier approved a similar 20 per cent proposal.

DD News reported that Uttar Pradesh Police was expected to announce recruitment for nearly 28,000 posts soon, including sub-inspector, jail warden and computer operator. It is important to note that the Agniveer quota applies only to the four types of posts named in the Cabinet decision, and not automatically to every post in a large recruitment drive.

Where the UP Agniveer reservation stands in October 2026

In the reports we reviewed, we did not find a newer Uttar Pradesh notification that opens a recruitment drive specifically for ex-Agniveers. The most recent summary of state measures,

published on 4 October 2026, simply lists Uttar Pradesh among the states that already provide horizontal reservation or preference, in several cases up to 20 per cent. This suggests that the UP Agniveer reservation is in place and that the practical test will come with the first police advertisements that include the Agniveer share.

How other states and Delhi compare

The Delhi Police example shows how a quota can become concrete. According to a PTI report of 29 March 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs notified amendments to the Delhi Police recruitment rules to reserve 20 per cent of Constable (Executive) posts for former Agniveers. They get a three-year age relaxation on the normal upper limit of 25 years, and candidates of the first batch get a further five years, which takes the limit to 30 years. They are also exempt from the Physical Efficiency Test.

What Uttar Pradesh Agniveers should check

Agniveers from Uttar Pradesh should not assume that the Delhi-style exemptions apply to the UP Agniveer reservation. The three-year age relaxation is stated in the Uttar Pradesh order, but the reports reviewed do not confirm any test exemption or any additional relaxation for the first batch. Candidates should read the next advertisement from the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board carefully and look at the eligibility, the physical standards and the documents asked for.

It is also wise to keep the discharge certificate, educational documents and proof of Uttar Pradesh residence ready, and to continue physical preparation until an official notification clearly says otherwise.

Why the UP Agniveer reservation still needs follow-up

A Cabinet decision of June 2025 is only the start of the process. The state has to amend its service rules, the recruitment board has to include the quota in its advertisements, and the first batch of ex-Agniveers has to reach the eligibility stage. Since the exit has only now begun, the real recruitment under this quota is still ahead. Candidates should not be discouraged by the gap, because the policy and the age relaxation are already on record, and what remains is for the board to publish the vacancies.

The larger picture

The UP Agniveer reservation was decided more than a year before the first exit, which gave it a head start. Since then, other states have taken their own steps, and the central government has created a 50 per cent quota in the CAPFs. For an Agniveer from Uttar Pradesh, this means several doors: the state police, the central forces and, depending on the notification, other departments. The wise approach is to prepare for all of them, apply wherever the conditions are met, and rely only on official notifications.

READ ALSO: DEFENCE MINISTRY OFFERS 10 PERCENT QUOTA TO EX-AGNIVEERS

Get the latest Agniveer updates by joining our WhatsApp channel