One-Time Grant Money to Soldiers Conferred with Vishisht Seva Medal Award

What is the Vishisht Seva Medal one-time grant?

One-Time Grant Money to Soldiers Conferred with Vishisht Seva Medal Award is a welfare scheme of the State Sainik Board under the Directorate of Soldier Welfare and Rehabilitation, Sainik Welfare Department, Government of Uttarakhand. The scheme gives a one-time cash grant to soldiers from Uttarakhand who have been decorated with a Vishisht Seva Medal. A distinguished-service (non-gallantry) award given for service of an exceptional order, as distinct from a gallantry medal awarded for bravery in action. On the departmental portal it is listed as the Non-Gallantry Award grant.

According to the Directorate of Soldier Welfare and Rehabilitation (sainikkalyan.uk.gov.in), the grant recognises the distinguished service of armed forces personnel who are permanent residents of Uttarakhand. The Vishisht Seva family of awards has three classes. The Param Vishisht Seva Medal, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Vishisht Seva Medal, and the non-gallantry Sena, Nao Sena and Vayu Sena Medals fall under the same grant schedule.

How much benefit does the scheme provide?

The scheme provides a one-time grant only, fixed by the class of medal. According to the Directorate of Soldier Welfare and Rehabilitation, the current schedule is:

The grant therefore runs from Rs 75,000 for the base Vishisht Seva Medal up to Rs 2,00,000 for the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, the highest distinguished- service class. Because these figures are revised from time to time by state cabinet decision, an applicant should confirm the current amount for their specific medal at the District Soldier Welfare Office before applying.

Unlike the state's gallantry medal scheme, this benefit is a one-time payment only: there is no separate annual annuity attached to the Vishisht Seva Medal award. A soldier who holds a gallantry decoration (Vir Chakra, Shaurya Chakra, Sena Medal for gallantry and so on) should instead apply under the state's gallantry grant scheme, which carries both a larger lump sum and a yearly annuity.

Gallantry medal or distinguished-service medal, which grant applies?

The single most common mistake applicants make is confusing the two families of awards, because Uttarakhand runs a separate grant for each. Gallantry awards. The Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Shaurya Chakra and the Sena, Nao Sena and Vayu Sena Medals given for gallantry; are recognised for bravery in the face of the enemy or in a dangerous situation, and fall under the state's gallantry grant. Distinguished-service awards — the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal and the Sena, Nao Sena and Vayu Sena Medals given for devotion to duty: recognise exceptional service over time, and fall under this non-gallantry grant. The gazette notification of the award states clearly which category the medal belongs to, so it is the document that decides which scheme a soldier applies under.

Because the two grants are mutually exclusive for a given medal, a soldier who holds medals of both kinds can claim each grant separately for the respective medal. What a soldier cannot do is claim this Vishisht Seva grant twice for the same medal, or claim it for a gallantry award.

Who is eligible for the scheme?

You can apply if:

• You are a permanent resident of Uttarakhand and hold a domicile certificate.
• You are a serving soldier or an ex-serviceman.
• You have been conferred a Vishisht Seva Medal award, evidenced by the official gazette notification.

You cannot apply if:

• You are not a permanent resident of Uttarakhand.
• You do not hold a gazetted Vishisht Seva Medal. A gallantry medal is covered by a separate Uttarakhand scheme, not this one.
• You have already received a similar grant for the same medal from another state, which the required affidavit rules out.

Where the soldier has died, an eligible dependent may pursue the claim with the dependent identity card and proof of relationship.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the Vishisht Seva Medal grant

The scheme is applied for offline, through the district military-welfare office.

1. Visit your District Sainik Welfare Office (Zila Sainik Kalyan Karyalaya) and ask for the application form for the Vishisht Seva Medal one-time grant.
2. Fill in the form with the soldier's service details and the medal conferred.
3. Attach the documents. The gazette notification of the Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttarakhand domicile certificate, Aadhaar, PAN, bank passbook with a cancelled cheque, the Rs 10 stamp-paper affidavit, and the discharge book for ex-servicemen.
4. Submit the form at the office for verification.
5. Receive the grant by DBT: once verified and approved, the one-time grant is credited to the beneficiary's bank account.

How do I check my application status?

Because the scheme is offline, follow up at the District Sainik Welfare Office where the application was submitted. The office can confirm whether the gazette notification and domicile have been verified and whether the one-time grant has been sanctioned for DBT.

Common reasons applications are delayed or rejected

• Missing or unclear gazette notification of the Vishisht Seva Medal.
• No Uttarakhand domicile certificate.
• Missing Rs 10 stamp-paper affidavit on non-duplication of the grant.
• Bank account not ready for DBT; no cancelled cheque or an inactive account.
• Confusing a gallantry medal with a distinguished-service medal: gallantry awards fall under a separate Uttarakhand grant scheme.

Key dates

There is no fixed last date. A soldier can apply once the Vishisht Seva Medal has been conferred and gazetted; submitting the complete application promptly speeds up verification and payment.

Help and grievance redressal

The application, verification and grievance route run through the District Soldier (Sainik) Welfare Office under the State Sainik Board, Sainik Welfare Department, Government of Uttarakhand. The list of District Soldier Welfare Officers with their contact details is published on the departmental portal at sainikkalyan.uk.gov.in. If a district office does not resolve an issue, it can be escalated in writing to the Directorate of Soldier Welfare and Rehabilitation of the state. This one-time Vishisht Seva Medal grant complements the state's separate scheme for gallantry medal holders, which additionally carries an annual annuity, so a soldier should apply under the scheme that matches the type of medal they hold, using the gazette notification as the deciding proof.