Clerics to run a mile with Agniveers, earn permanent JCO rank

Nagpur: The Army's recruitment rally at Kamptee Cantonment, 20km off Nagpur, next month will include religious teachers — pandits, maulvis, granthis, priests and Buddhist monks — alongside Agniveers.

The clerics will compete in physical tests including a one-mile race, followed by religious proficiency assessments in Delhi. Those selected will be inducted as Religious Teachers-Junior Commissioned Officers (RT-JCOs), a permanent rank unlike Agniveers, who have a four-year tenure, with 25% of them getting absorbed on a full-time basis. Cantonment officials said religious teachers have historically played an important role in battalions, offering both spiritual guidance and moral support.The men of faith will have to be in the 19-34 age-group and prove their fitness by running. Each of them will have to cover 1.6km in less than 8 minutes to qualify for further physical tests like chin-ups, long and high jumps. The job of the army recruitment office (ARO) at Nagpur will be limited to conducting physical tests and checking credentials. Later, candidates who clear the rounds at Kamptee will be tested for their knowledge of their respective religions.

"RT-JCOs have been in the army since early times, with an objective to boost the morale of troops. They also double up as soldiers in times of combat, with duties that include carrying out rituals or prayer service in the war zone," said an official. The recruitment of RT-JCOs keeps happening from time to time, though it has not happened in Nagpur in the recent past, said sources involved in the process."An RT-JCO plays an important role in keeping the troops in good spirits.

The RT-JCO's job is to also remind troops of their religious obligation to serve the country. The officer also counsels them on domestic matters and mandir parade where everyone gathers for a prayer. This is a regular feature in army units," said Major Anand Patharkarpp, the zilla sainik officer at Nagpur."They are placed in units depending on the composition of the troops. However, many also acquire knowledge of other religions for the troops of different faiths," said an officer.

A candidate aspiring to become a pandit of a regiment needs to have a degree from a recognised university apart from religious qualifications, which include ‘karam kand' as one of the subjects. A one-year diploma in ‘karam kand' also works, says the recruitment brochure shared with TOI.A maulvi needs to be an alim or ‘adeeb-e-mahir' in Arabic or a mahir in Urdu, apart from a university degree. The padre (priest) should have ordained priesthood by an ecclesiastical authority. The Buddhist monk too needs to be ordained by an appropriate authority. The rally will cover candidates from Gujarat, Goa, Daman and Diu, apart from Vidarbha. Those from other states will appear for the specialised cadre, said a source.

The number of candidates appearing for the RT-JCOs job will only be revealed on the day of the recruitment. The rally for the preachers will be held on September 10 as the rally starts from September 3 onwards.