How to Apply for RMEWF Vocational Training for Widows: Step-by-Step Guide

How to apply for the vocational training grant for widows, step by step

Apply through your Zila Sainik Welfare Office (ZSWO), not directly to the Kendriya Sainik Board. The grant under the Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund - Vocational Training for Widows is paid after the widow completes an approved vocational course, so the whole process runs backwards from what most people expect: register first, train, prove employment, then claim. This guide expands the pillar's outline into a screen-by-screen and desk-by-desk walkthrough.

For eligibility and the benefit amount, see the parent guide on the Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund - Vocational Training for Widows. In one line: it is a one-time grant of up to Rs 50,000 for the widow of an ex-serviceman of Havildar rank or below.

Step 1 to Register the widow with the Zila Sainik Board

Before any course is booked, the widow must be on the district record. Visit the ZSWO in the district where the family is domiciled and:

1. Carry the ex-serviceman's discharge certificate or service book showing the spouse entry, and his death certificate if widow status is not already recorded.
2. Ask for a widow identity card if you do not hold one. This card is the single most important document later. The claim cannot move without it.
3. Confirm the widow's details are seeded correctly, especially name spelling matching the bank account.

Step 2 to Get the course and institute pre-approved

This step is skipped by most rejected applicants. Before enrolling, ask the Zila Sainik Welfare Officer to confirm in writing that the institute will be accepted at claim time. Acceptable institutes are:

• A government Industrial Training Institute (ITI).
• An institute run by a Rajya Sainik Board or Zila Sainik Board.
• A recognised private institute such as NIIT.

Choose a trade with real placement value: data entry, tailoring, beauty and wellness, computer applications, nursing assistant; because the next step requires proof that the training led to work.

Step 3 to Complete the course and collect certificates

1. Finish the course and collect the completion certificate from the institute. An in-progress course cannot be claimed; there is no advance payment.
2. Return to the ZSWO for the certificate of gainful employment — the Zila Sainik Welfare Officer certifies that the training led to a job or self-employment. Take a job letter, shop registration, or client evidence to support it.

Step 4 to Register online and fill the application

1. Go to ksb.gov.in and create a login, or use the ZSWO's terminal.
2. Open the application for financial assistance for vocational training of widows of ex-servicemen.
3. Enter the ex-serviceman's rank (must be Havildar or equivalent and below), service number, and the widow's details.
4. Enter bank details for a Punjab National Bank or State Bank of India account only, the Kendriya Sainik Board disburses into PNB or SBI accounts.

Step 5 to Attach documents and submit to the ZSB

Upload or attach certified copies of:

1. Discharge certificate or service book (with spouse entry).
2. Widow identity card.
3. Vocational training completion certificate.
4. ZSWO certificate of gainful employment.
5. Death certificate of the ex-serviceman (if required).
6. PNB or SBI bank passbook/details with IFSC.

Submit the physical file to the Zila Sainik Board.

Step 6, The annual forwarding cycle and payment

The Zila Sainik Welfare Officer scrutinises each case and forwards all district applications together to the Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat in July each year. Because forwarding happens only once a year, a file that misses the July batch waits until the following year: submit well before then. Sanctioned payments are processed on a quarterly cycle after approval by the competent authority.

What to do after applying

• Keep a photocopy of the submitted file and note the date of submission.
• Follow up at the ZSWO after July to confirm the case went in the batch.
• If sanctioned but unpaid after a quarter, contact the Joint Director (Welfare), Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat on 011-20862446, or raise a grievance with the Joint Director (Grievance) on 011-26179109.

FAQ

Can I apply before finishing the course? No. The grant is reimbursement-style; the completion and employment certificates are mandatory.

Is there any application fee? No. The Kendriya Sainik Board charges nothing and does not use agents.

Can the grant go to any bank? No: only a Punjab National Bank or State Bank of India account.

Can it be claimed twice? No. It is a one-time grant per widow.