The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has increased the reservation for ex-Agniveers in Group C posts of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) from 10% to 50%. A senior government official told The Hindu this hike will not affect the existing caste-based reservation system. Recruitment in CAPFs follows a 50% cap on caste-based reservations: 15% for Scheduled Castes, 7.5% for Scheduled Tribes, and 27% for Other Backward Classes. The official stated, "The modalities of implementing 50% reservation for ex-Agniveers are still being worked out. Whether it will be a horizontal or vertical reservation is something being looked into." On December 19, the MHA had notified that 50% of vacant Constable posts in the Border Security Force (BSF) will be reserved for ex-Agniveers. While they will be exempt from the Physical Efficiency Test, ex-Agniveers must appear for written exams like other candidates. The minimum educational qualification is Class X. Data on Police Organisations 2024 reports 5.99 lakh Constables are serving in CAPFs against a sanctioned 6.29 lakh strength. In 2023, 56,202 Constables were recruited. Ranbir Singh, general secretary of the Alliance of All Ex-Paramilitary Association, expressed concern, saying, "Hundreds of young men preparing for the CAPF Constable exams will be impacted by the policy as it will shrink the employment opportunity. Had the Agniveers been retained in the Army, they would have had to be given pension under the old scheme. There is no such pension in the CAPFs. This will save the government crores of rupees. The training for the Army and the CAPFs is different... Will the Agniveers be trained all over again? Hundreds of youth in villages are preparing for Constable posts in CAPFs, they stand to lose with this policy. We are opposed to this policy, it will deprive the deserving candidates in rural areas." The Agnipath recruitment policy announced in 2022 faced widespread protests and influenced the 2024 General Election. Following this, the MHA granted 10% reservation in CAPFs for armed forces recruits completing four years under the Agnipath scheme, along with age relaxations for the first and subsequent batches. The first batch of Agniveers will be eligible to join CAPFs in 2026.