In a significant move to support ex-servicemen and uphold the state’s military tradition, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced a 10 per cent horizontal reservation for discharged Agniveers in government jobs. On Monday, the Department of Personnel and Vigilance formally issued the “Uttarakhand Horizontal Reservation for Employment in Uniformed Posts of Group C Direct Recruitment under State Services Rules, 2025.”

Under these rules, discharged Agniveers will now receive horizontal reservation in key uniformed posts including Police Constable (Civil/PAC), Sub-Inspector, Platoon Commander PAC, Firefighter, Fire Second Officer, Prison Guard, Deputy Jailor, Forest Guard, Forest Inspector, Excise Constable, Enforcement Constable, Secretariat Guard, and are also now eligible for employment in the Tiger Protection Force.

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Experts have hailed the move as a “masterstroke,” noting that Uttarakhand’s large military population will benefit both from secured employment for Agniveers and increased motivation for youth to join the armed forces. Chief Minister Dhami said, “Former Agniveers are the pride of our state. It is our responsibility to provide them respect and employment opportunities.”

Alongside the reservation, the state has also raised ex gratia payments for the families of martyred soldiers from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, and for Param Vir Chakra recipients from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore. Furthermore, one family member of each martyr will now be provided a government job.

Honouring Uttarakhand’s military heritage, the construction of Sainya Dham, the fifth “dham” in Dehradun, has been completed. The shrine is set to become a centre of military reverence, preserving the legacy of bravery and sacrifice, and connecting future generations with the state’s rich tradition of valour. 

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Uttarakhand, often called Devbhoomi (land of gods) and Veerbhoomi (land of the brave), has a deep-rooted history of families serving in the armed forces, a legacy that the government aims to strengthen further with these initiatives.