Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund - Daughter's Marriage Grant

What is the RMEWF daughter's marriage grant?

The Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund (RMEWF) daughter's marriage grant is a one-time payment made by the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) towards the marriage of a daughter of an ex-serviceman, and towards the remarriage of an ex-serviceman's widow. According to the Kendriya Sainik Board scheme page, the grant is Rs 50,000 per daughter or widow whose marriage is solemnised after 1 April 2016, subject to a maximum of two daughters.

The scheme is one of the older Ministry of Defence welfare grants. It began in 1981 at Rs 3,000 per daughter, was revised in May 2007 to Rs 16,000, and was raised to the current Rs 50,000 for marriages solemnised on or after 1 April 2016.

Main features

• Restricted to ex-servicemen of the rank of Havildar and equivalent, and below. This is a lower-ranks welfare grant, not a universal entitlement.
• Open to both pensioner and non-pensioner ex-servicemen.
• Covers orphan daughters of ex-servicemen and widows in their own right.
• Strict 180-day filing window from the date of marriage.
• Paid by NEFT, subject to availability of funds in the RMEWF.

Who is eligible for the RMEWF marriage grant?

You can apply if:

• You are an ex-serviceman of the rank of Havildar and equivalent or below, the widow of such an ex-serviceman, or an orphan daughter of one.
• The daughter being married is above 18 years of age.
• The marriage was solemnised after 1 April 2016.
• You are applying within 180 days of the date of solemnisation.
• You have not obtained any financial grant for the same purpose from a state government or from the Service.
• Your application is recommended by the Zila Sainik Board and the Regional Sainik Board.

You cannot apply if:

• You held the rank of Naib Subedar, JCO or officer, or equivalent in the Navy or Air Force. The grant is not eligible to those ranks.
• The daughter was under 18 on the date of marriage.
• The marriage took place on or before 1 April 2016, which falls outside the revised rate and the current scheme window.
• More than 180 days have passed since the marriage.
• You have already claimed for two daughters.
• You have already received assistance for the same marriage from a state government or from the Service, which the mandatory declaration is designed to catch.
• You are a serving soldier, or a relative other than the ex-serviceman, widow or orphan daughter.

How much does the RMEWF marriage grant pay?

The grant is a fixed lump sum. It does not vary with the cost of the wedding, with rank within the eligible band, or with the family's income.

What documents are required?

All documents are uploaded as scanned copies at the online application stage and verified against originals by the Zila Sainik Welfare Office.

How to apply for the RMEWF marriage grant

1. Complete the marriage and obtain the marriage registration certificate from the Registrar of Marriages, or from the village Sarpanch where that is accepted.
2. Register on ksb.gov.in if you do not already have an account, and log in.
3. Open the RMEWF financial assistance for marriage of ESM daughters application and fill it in, within 180 days from the date of solemnisation.
4. Upload scanned copies of the Discharge Book page showing the daughter's entry, the daughter's age proof, the marriage certificate, the declaration that no other grant was taken, your PPO if you are a pensioner, and your PNB or SBI account details with IFSC.
5. Submit the application and note the application number. The application routes automatically to your Zila Sainik Board.
6. Attend the Zila Sainik Welfare Office when given an appointment, so the staff can verify your originals against the uploaded scans.
7. The ZSB recommends the case to the Regional Sainik Board, which forwards it to the KSB Secretariat, where approval and payment by NEFT follow, subject to availability of funds.

For a second daughter, a fresh online application must be filed separately, within the same time limit from the date of that marriage.

Common reasons applications are rejected

• The application was filed after 180 days from the date of marriage.
• The applicant's rank is above Havildar or equivalent.
• The daughter's name is not entered in the Discharge Book or service documents.
• The marriage certificate is missing, or the marriage was solemnised on or before 1 April 2016.
• The daughter was below 18 on the date of marriage.
• Bank details are not in PNB or SBI, or the IFSC is wrong.
• A third daughter is claimed, beyond the two-daughter cap.
• The declaration of no other grant is missing, or a state government grant for the same marriage is discovered during ZSB verification.

Related Kendriya Sainik Board grants

The RMEWF runs a family of welfare grants with different rank ceilings, and they are easy to mix up:

• RMEWF penury grant, for non-pensioner ex-servicemen and widows aged 65 and above.
• RMEWF education grant — monthly assistance for children and widows of ex-servicemen.
• AFFDF serious disease treatment grant and AFFDF mobility equipment grant; open to all ranks, unlike this marriage grant.

Each is a separate application, and eligibility for one does not create eligibility for another.

Help and grievance redressal

• JD (Welfare), KSB Secretariat: 011-20862446, jdwelfare-ksb@desw.gov.in
• KSB grievances: Post Grievance and Track Grievance options on ksb.gov.in
• Postal address: Secretary, Kendriya Sainik Board, West Block-IV, Wing-VII, RK Puram, New Delhi 110066
• Local help: your Zila Sainik Welfare Office, the first point of contact for every KSB welfare grant

There is no fee to apply and no agent is needed. Every step runs through the Zila Sainik Board, the Regional Sainik Board and the KSB Secretariat.