Chandigarh: The Haryana Government has significantly expanded employment opportunities for Ex-Agniveers by providing 20 per cent horizontal reservation in direct recruitment to a specified set of government posts, besides 5 per cent horizontal reservation in other Group-C posts and 1 per cent in Group-B posts relatable to skill specialisation. The consolidated instructions were issued today by Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi.
The 20 per cent horizontal reservation will apply to the posts of Police Constable in the Home Department, Constable in the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), Constable in the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Forest Guard, Warden in the Prisons Department, Mining Guard, Wildlife Guard and Fire Operator-cum-Driver.The category-wise distribution of the 20 per cent reservation provides 2 per cent for Deprived Scheduled Castes, 2 per cent for Other Scheduled Castes, 3 per cent for BC-A, 2 per cent for BC-B, 2 per cent for EWS and 9 per cent for the Unreserved category. The two Scheduled Caste categories together, therefore, account for 4 per cent of the 20 per cent Ex-Agniveer reservation.
For other Group-C posts, excluding the posts covered under the 20 per cent reservation, the government has prescribed 5 per cent horizontal reservation for Ex-Agniveers. The category-wise distribution within the 5 per cent reservation provides 1 per cent for Deprived Scheduled Castes, for Other Scheduled Castes, 1 per cent for BC-A, and BC-B 2 per cent 3 per cent for EWS and Unreserved category.
For Group-B posts relatable to skill specialisation, the government has fixed 1 per cent horizontal reservation for Ex-Agniveers. The provision is aimed at giving recognition in government recruitment to skills acquired during military service and training..After completion of the recruitment process, Ex-Agniveers will be selected according to their merit within their respective category. Their selection will be made against the point reserved for the vertical category to which they belong.
The government has also laid down the procedure for cases where a suitable Ex-Agniveer is not available against a reserved point. In such circumstances, the vacancy may be filled by a suitable candidate belonging to the respective vertical reservation category, in accordance with the applicable provisions.
Major relief: PST exemption for specified posts
Ex-Agniveers applying for Police Constable, Forest Guard, Prison Warden, Mining Guard, Wildlife Guard and Fire Operator-cum-Driver posts will be exempted from the Physical Screening Test (PST), which otherwise forms part of the eligibility process for these recruitments.
The government has retained the existing provision under which Ex-Agniveers are exempted from the Common Eligibility Test (CET) for Group-C posts. They will also be exempted from the skill-related test corresponding to the skills acquired during their training for the advertised posts. However, Ex-Agniveers will still have to appear in the written examination prescribed by the recruiting agency for the advertised posts
Exemption to be claimed while submitting application
The applicable exemption will be provided at the time of application when Ex-Agniveers apply in response to advertisements for such posts issued by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC). The consolidated instructions will come into force from September 1, 2026. They will supersede the earlier instructions issued on August 20, 2025, and July 20, 2026, relating to reservation for Ex-Agniveers.
All concerned departments and authorities have been directed to implement the revised provisions accordingly.
