Maharashtra Appoints First Batch of 282 Navy Agniveers as Police Constables
Maharashtra has appointed 282 former Navy Agniveers, 150 Seaman Deckside and 132 Seaman Engineside, as police constables under a 10 percent horizontal reservation approved by the state cabinet. Army and Air Force Agniveers will get similar opportunities next, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
The Maharashtra government has given police constable appointments to 282 former Navy Agniveers, the first batch of ex-Agniveers to be absorbed into the state's uniformed services. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the move on Friday. All 282 are residents of Maharashtra, and appointment orders have already been handed to them.
The batch includes 150 Seaman Deckside and 132 Seaman Engineside personnel. The state received their list from the Centre and appointed them after changing its recruitment rules to give Agniveers a reservation in government jobs. In a post on X, Fadnavis said the state cabinet had decided to reserve posts for Agniveers, and he wished the new constables well in their roles.
What the cabinet decided
The appointments follow a Maharashtra cabinet decision of September 29, 2026. It approved a 10 percent horizontal reservation for ex-Agniveers who are domiciled in the state in Group-C uniformed posts. These include the Maharashtra Police, State Reserve Police Force, fire services, coastal security, prisons, Home Guards and related cadres.
Eligible ex-Agniveers are taken on through direct recruitment, with no competitive exam and no repeat of basic training. They also get age relaxation and other concessions. Navy personnel are given priority for the state's coastal security wing, and the limit on sanctioned posts can be relaxed as a special measure to place them.
Coastal security boost
Fadnavis told reporters that the entire first Navy batch has been placed in the coastal security wing. He said their extensive training, including service on borders and in difficult terrain, would strengthen coastal security and benefit both sides.
Army and IAF next
The chief minister also said the state will give similar opportunities to Agniveers from the Army and the Indian Air Force. According to the government's decision, any Agniveer who wants to move into the Maharashtra Police will be taken in.
The bigger picture
The step addresses the question of jobs after service under the Agnipath scheme, which the Centre launched in 2022. Agniveers serve a four-year term, after which about 25 percent are kept on in the armed forces and the other 75 percent are released. Maharashtra has indicated that around 2,496 people from the state are in the first batch completing their term.
Other states have taken similar steps. Assam has a 12 percent reservation in certain constable-level posts, and Gujarat offers direct recruitment into the police with a 20 percent reservation. These measures aim to use the discipline and training of former Agniveers in state uniformed services and give them a structured second career.
