Maharashtra Appoints 282 Navy Agniveers as Police Constables, Sets Sights on Army and IAF Recruits

Mumbai/Nagpur, October 23, 2026: The Maharashtra government has appointed the first batch of 282 Navy Agniveers from the state as police constables, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Friday, moving ahead with a cabinet decision to reserve government jobs for former Agniveers.

The newly appointed personnel include 150 Seaman Deckside and 132 Seaman Engineside Agniveers. Appointment orders have been issued after the state received the first list of eligible candidates from the central government.

In a post on X, Fadnavis said the state cabinet had decided to provide reservation in government jobs to Agniveers serving the country, following which the relevant rules were amended and approval was granted for the appointment of 282 Navy Agniveers who are residents of Maharashtra. He said the respective orders had also been handed over to them.

“Great News! We had taken the decision in the state cabinet to provide reservation in government jobs to the Agneepveers fighting for the country. Accordingly, necessary changes have been made in the rules, and now approval has been granted to appoint 282 Agneepveers. The first list of 282 Navy Agneepveers who are residents of Maharashtra state had been received by the state government from the central government.

Accordingly, 282 Agneepveers—150 Seaman Deckside and 132 Seaman Engineside—have been appointed as Police Constables, and the respective orders have also been provided to them. My heartfelt best wishes to all of them in their new roles!” he wrote.

The appointments follow the Maharashtra cabinet’s decision of September 29, 2026, which approved 10 per cent horizontal reservation for Maharashtra-domiciled former Agniveers in Group-C uniformed posts. The benefit covers vacancies in the Maharashtra Police, State Reserve Police Force, fire services, coastal security, prisons, Home Guards and related cadres.

According to the policy, eligible Agniveers will be taken in through direct recruitment without having to appear for competitive examinations or undergo basic training again. The state has also provided for age relaxation and other concessions. Navy personnel are being prioritised for the coastal security wing, and the government may relax sanctioned-post limits as a special measure to absorb them.

Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis said the first batch received from the Navy had already been fully integrated into the coastal security wing. He said their training experience, including service on borders and in difficult terrain, would strengthen coastal security and be mutually beneficial.

He also said the government would extend similar opportunities to Agniveers from the Army and the Indian Air Force. “Moving forward, we will certainly provide opportunities for Agniveers from the Army and the Air Force to join our police force as well,” he said, adding that any Agniveer wanting to transition into the Maharashtra Police would be inducted.

The move is intended to provide post-service employment options under the Agnipath scheme, which was launched by the Centre in 2022. Under the scheme, recruits serve for four years, after which around 25 per cent are retained in the armed forces and the remaining 75 per cent are released. Maharashtra has said that among the first batch of Agniveers completing their tenure, about 2,496 are from the state.

The policy is in line with similar measures adopted elsewhere, including in Assam, where there is 12 per cent reservation in certain constable-level posts, and Gujarat, where Agniveers can be directly recruited into the police with 20 per cent reservation. Maharashtra’s move is aimed at putting the disciplined training and skills of former Agniveers to use in state uniformed services while offering them a structured route into a second career.