Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund - Orphan Children Grant

What is the RMEWF Orphan Children Grant?

Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund Orphan Children Grant is a welfare payment run by the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) under the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence, for children of ex-servicemen who have lost both parents.

According to the Kendriya Sainik Board, the grant is Rs 3,000 per month per child, paid annually during the financial year; up to Rs 36,000 a year for each eligible orphan. The rate was raised from Rs 1,000 a month to Rs 3,000 a month in 2022.

The grant is drawn from the Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund, a subset of the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. Unlike most other grants from the same fund, this one is open to orphan children of ex-servicemen of all ranks, because the trigger for assistance is the loss of both parents rather than the family's rank or income.

Main features

• Administered by the Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat and delivered through Rajya Sainik Boards and Zila Sainik Boards.
• Open to orphan children of ex-servicemen of all ranks.
• Covers orphan sons up to 21 years of age and unmarried orphan daughters.
• Credited to the bank account of the orphan child or the legal guardian through Electronic Clearing Service.

Who is eligible for the RMEWF Orphan Children Grant?

You can apply if:

• You are the legitimate child of an ex-serviceman, with the entry recorded in the service or discharge book.
• Both parents have died. The ex-serviceman and the spouse, and death certificates for both are available.
• You are a son below 21 years of age, or an unmarried daughter of any age.
• Your case is recommended by the Zila Sainik Board of the district.

You cannot apply if:

• One parent is still living. A child who has lost only the ex-serviceman parent is not eligible for this grant, though the family may qualify for the RMEWF education grant or the penury grant instead.
• You are a son who has crossed 21 years. The grant ceases automatically on that birthday.
• You are a daughter who has married. Payment stops from the date of marriage, and continuing to draw it after that is recoverable.
• The child's name is not entered in the ex-serviceman's service documents.
• The parent's service was not as an ex-serviceman as defined by the Ministry of Defence.

What documents are required for the orphan children grant?

How to apply for the RMEWF Orphan Children Grant

1. Obtain death certificates of both parents from the municipal or panchayat authority.
2. Go to the Zila Sainik Welfare Office of the district where the ex-serviceman was registered and apply for a dependent identity card in the orphan child's name if one has not already been issued.
3. Register on ksb.gov.in and complete the application for financial assistance to orphan children of ex-servicemen, or fill the form at the Zila Sainik Welfare Office with the officer's help.
4. Attach the service or discharge book page carrying the child's entry, both death certificates, the birth certificate, the dependent identity card and — for a daughter. A certificate of unmarried status.
5. Give bank account details with the IFSC for a Punjab National Bank or State Bank of India account in the name of the child or the legal guardian.
6. Submit the file to the Zila Sainik Welfare Officer, who scrutinises it and forwards a recommendation to the Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat.
7. Track the case with the Zila Sainik Welfare Office. Sanctioned cases are processed by the Secretariat on a quarterly basis.
8. For a daughter, file a fresh unmarried status certificate every year so that the next annual release is not held up.

What happens after the grant is sanctioned

Once approved, the assistance continues for as long as the child remains eligible. No fresh application is needed each year for a son; the grant simply stops when he turns 21. For a daughter the only annual requirement is the unmarried status certificate.

If the family moves to another district, the Zila Sainik Welfare Office holding the record should be informed so that the case file is transferred. Bank account changes must also be notified in writing, since a failed credit is the most common reason a sanctioned payment does not reach the family.

Where to get help

• Joint Director (Welfare), Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat: 011-20862446
• Zila Sainik Welfare Officer in your district, the first point of contact
• Grievances: Joint Director (Grievance), Kendriya Sainik Board, 011-26179109

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