Two suicides in month at Odisha naval base expose deepening crisis in Indian Army
Chandigarh: Two Indian Army Agniveers dying by suicide this month at the same Naval establishment in Odisha have triggered alarm over service conditions and the collapsing psychological health of Indian troops.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the latest case, 19-year-old trainee Agniveer Vikas Kumar from Bhojpur, Bihar, was found dead in a gym at INS Chilka on April 18.
He had joined the Indian Navy only in February. This follows the April 8 death of trainee Katik Yadav of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, at the same base — the second suicide at INS Chilka in just 10 days. Recruited under the controversial four-year Agniveer scheme, launched to cut pensions and lower the army’s age profile, these soldiers face discharge after training with only 25 percent absorbed permanently.
The scheme had already sparked fierce debate in the Indian army establishment over its efficacy and the bleak post-discharge future. Sources estimate around 25 Agniveer suicides across all three services so far, including in military operational areas like Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
High occupational stress, extended deployments, long family separations, marital discord, and financial distress are driving troops to take their lives, exposing a mental health emergency within the Indian Armed Forces. The first Agniveer batch, enrolled in late 2022, completes its term this year.
