Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund - Vocational Training for Widows

What is the RMEWF Vocational Training Grant for Widows?

Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund Vocational Training for Widows is a one-time cash grant administered by the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) under the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence. The grant is paid to the widow of an ex-serviceman after she completes a vocational course, so that she can move into paid work or self-employment.

According to the Kendriya Sainik Board, the assistance is a one-time grant of up to Rs 50,000, met from the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. The scheme started in May 2007 with a grant of Rs 20,000, which has since been raised to the current maximum of Rs 50,000.

Eligibility is deliberately narrow. Only widows of ex-servicemen up to the rank of Havildar or equivalent may claim, which places the scheme at the lowest pension bands of the ex-servicemen community.

Main features

• One-time payment, claimed after the course rather than before it.
• Restricted to widows of ex-servicemen of Havildar rank and below.
• Training may be taken at a government ITI, an RSB or ZSB institute, or a recognised private institute such as NIIT.
• Requires a certificate from the Zila Sainik Welfare Officer that the training has led to gainful employment.

Who is eligible for the RMEWF Vocational Training Grant for Widows?

You can apply if:

• You are the widow of an ex-serviceman of Havildar rank or equivalent and below.
• Your name is entered as the spouse in the ex-serviceman's service book or discharge certificate.
• You have successfully completed a vocational training course at an approved institute.
• Your case is recommended by both the Zila Sainik Board and the Rajya Sainik Board.

You cannot apply if:

• Your late husband held the rank of Naib Subedar, JCO or a commissioned officer rank. Widows of these ranks are not eligible for this grant.
• You have enrolled in a course but have not yet completed it. An in-progress course cannot be claimed, and there is no advance payment.
• You are the wife of a serving soldier, or of a living ex-serviceman. This is a widow-specific grant.
• You have already received the vocational training grant once. It cannot be claimed a second time.
• Your marriage is not recorded in the ex-serviceman's service documents and cannot be established through the Zila Sainik Board record.

What documents are required for the vocational training grant?

How to apply for the RMEWF Vocational Training Grant for Widows

1. Register yourself and your late husband's service record at the Zila Sainik Welfare Office and obtain a widow identity card if you do not already hold one.
2. Ask the Zila Sainik Welfare Officer to confirm that the institute and course you intend to join will be accepted, a government ITI, an RSB or ZSB institute, or a recognised private institute.
3. Complete the vocational course and collect the completion certificate from the institute.
4. Obtain a certificate from the Zila Sainik Welfare Officer confirming that the training has resulted in gainful employment or self-employment.
5. Register on ksb.gov.in and fill the application for financial assistance for vocational training of widows of ex-servicemen, or complete the form at the Zila Sainik Welfare Office.
6. Attach certified copies of the discharge certificate or service book, the widow identity card, the completion certificate, the employment certificate and bank details for a Punjab National Bank or State Bank of India account.
7. Submit the file to the Zila Sainik Board. The Zila Sainik Welfare Officer forwards all district applications together to the Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat in July each year.
8. Follow up with the Zila Sainik Welfare Office. Approved cases are paid out on a quarterly cycle after sanction by the competent authority.

How this grant fits with other RMEWF assistance

The Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund carries several separate grants, and a widow may qualify for more than one at the same time. The penury grant was doubled to Rs 8,000 a month and the education grant to Rs 2,000 a month per child for up to two dependent children, for applications submitted from 1 November 2025 onwards. The marriage grant was raised to Rs 1 lakh in the same order.

The vocational training grant is separate from all of these and does not reduce what a family can claim under them. It is worth asking the Zila Sainik Welfare Officer to review the whole family's entitlement in one sitting rather than applying for each grant in isolation.

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

No fee is payable to apply for this grant, and the Kendriya Sainik Board does not work through agents or private consultants.