Bhubaneswar, Mar 6: Concerned over the low participation of youths from Odisha in the Indian Army’s Agniveer recruitment drive for 2026, Chief Secretary Anu Garg chaired a high-level review meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan on Friday to assess the current status of registrations and chalk out strategies to boost participation.
The meeting focused on intensifying awareness about the recruitment drive, simplifying the online registration process, and motivating more young men and women from the state to join the armed forces under the Agniveer Scheme.
Among those present at the meeting were Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, Higher Education Commissioner-cum-Secretary Aravind Agrawal, Director of Technical Education Chakravarti Singh Rathore, officials from the Army Recruitment Office Cuttack, and all district collectors who joined virtually.
Officials noted that while Agniveer recruitment receives an enthusiastic response in several parts of the country, participation from Odisha remains comparatively low. As a result, the state is unable to fully utilise the number of posts allocated to it under the recruitment rules.
During the meeting, officials reviewed recruitment data from the past decade as well as the current status of registrations. As of March 5, 2026, a total of 6,044 youths from Odisha have registered on the official portal of the Indian Army — Join Indian Army Portal — since registrations opened on February 13. The last date for applying is April 1, 2026.
Region-wise data shows that 1,770 candidates registered from northern districts, 2,583 from coastal districts, and 1,691 from southern districts of the state.
The review also highlighted that during the 2025–26 recruitment cycle, 8,664 candidates from Odisha qualified the entrance examination, out of which 1,477 were eventually appointed as Agniveers.
Officials also shared inspiring success stories to encourage more youth to apply. One such example is a family in which three siblings — Gaurav Sarojini Das, Sattawan Ban Das and Manaswini Das — joined the Indian Army, demonstrating the growing spirit of service among the state’s youth.
The meeting further discussed leveraging Odisha’s strong sporting culture to encourage participation in the recruitment process. Authorities highlighted that candidates possessing sports certificates have additional opportunities during the selection process.
With less than a month remaining for the registration deadline, several departments including the Skill Development Department, Higher Education Department, School and Mass Education Department, and Panchayati Raj Department have been directed to intensify awareness campaigns across the state.
The government plans to undertake extensive publicity through social media platforms, print and electronic media, WhatsApp groups, and targeted campaigns in colleges and ITIs. Sena rallies and awareness programmes will also be organised to reach out to young aspirants.
To facilitate registrations, assistance will be provided through tehsil-level kiosks, Mo Seva Centres and Common Service Centres. The Army Recruitment Office Cuttack will also conduct video conferences with colleges to guide interested candidates.
District administrations have been asked to closely monitor registrations, involve data entry operators in facilitating applications, and coordinate with Army recruitment officials for training and awareness initiatives. The aim is to significantly increase registrations from Odisha and ensure stronger representation of the state’s youth in the Indian Army.
