How to Apply for the RMEWF Orphan Children Grant: Step-by-Step Guide

How to apply for the RMEWF Orphan Children Grant

To apply for the Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund - Orphan Children Grant, an orphan child of an ex-serviceman (or the legal guardian) first obtains death certificates of both parents, gets a dependent identity card from the Zila Sainik Board, registers on ksb.gov.in, fills the orphan-children application, attaches the discharge book page, birth certificate and PNB/SBI bank details, and submits it to the Zila Sainik Welfare Officer. This guide walks each step; the parent scheme guide covers the Rs 3,000 per month benefit and eligibility. The grant is open to orphan children of ex-servicemen of all ranks.

Before you start: what to line up

1. Death certificates of both parents. KSB requires death certificates of the ex-serviceman and the spouse. Obtain both from the municipal or panchayat authority first. The whole claim rests on the child being an orphan of both parents.
2. A PNB or SBI bank account. KSB Secretariat disburses only through Punjab National Bank or State Bank of India, in the name of the orphan child or the legal guardian. Open one before applying and note the IFSC.
3. The dependent identity card. Get a dependent identity card for the orphan child from the Zila Sainik Welfare Office if one has not already been issued.

Step-by-step application

1. Obtain both death certificates from the municipal or panchayat authority where each parent died.
2. Visit the Zila Sainik Welfare Office (ZSWO) of the district where the ex-serviceman was registered, and apply for the child's dependent identity card if you do not hold one.
3. Register on ksb.gov.in and open the application for financial assistance to orphan children of ex-servicemen, or ask the ZSWO to fill it with you.
4. Fill the details, the ex-serviceman's particulars, the orphan child's details, and the PNB or SBI account number with IFSC. For a son, the birth certificate must show he is below 21 years.
5. Upload the documents:

• The service or discharge book page carrying the child's entry
• Death certificates of both parents
• The child's birth certificate
• The dependent identity card
• For a daughter, a certificate of unmarried status from the competent authority
• Bank proof for the PNB/SBI account

6. Submit to the ZSWO, who scrutinises the file and forwards a recommendation through the Rajya Sainik Board to the KSB Secretariat.
7. Track the case with the Zila Sainik Welfare Office. KSB processes sanctioned cases on a quarterly basis.
8. Receive payment by Electronic Clearing Service into the notified account after approval.

After sanction: keeping the grant running

• For a son, no fresh application is needed each year, the grant simply stops when he turns 21.
• For a daughter, file a fresh unmarried status certificate every year so the next release is not held up. Payment stops from the date of marriage, and continuing to draw it after that is recoverable.
• If the family moves, tell the Zila Sainik Welfare Office holding the record so the file can be transferred, and notify any change of bank account in writing. A failed credit is the commonest reason a sanctioned payment does not arrive.

Who counts as eligible

The trigger is the loss of both parents, not the family's rank or income, which is why this grant covers ex-servicemen of all ranks. A child who has lost only the ex-serviceman parent is not eligible here, though the family may qualify for the RMEWF education grant or penury grant instead. The child's name must appear in the ex-serviceman's service or discharge book.

Where to get help

• Zila Sainik Welfare Officer, the first point of contact and the officer who recommends the case.
• Joint Director (Welfare), KSB Secretariat: 011-20862446.
• Grievances: Joint Director (Grievance), KSB, 011-26179109.

There is no fee for applying. The Kendriya Sainik Board does not use agents, and no payment is required at any stage.