RMEWF - Financial Assistance for Vocational Training of Widows of Ex-Servicemen

What is the RMEWF vocational training assistance for widows?

RMEWF Financial Assistance for Vocational Training of Widows of Ex-Servicemen is a welfare grant administered by the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) under the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence. It is funded from the Raksha Mantri's Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund (RMEWF), a corpus used to support ex-servicemen and their dependants who are in difficulty.

The purpose of the scheme is narrow and practical. When an ex-serviceman of junior rank dies, his widow is often left without a steady income. According to the Kendriya Sainik Board, this scheme helps such a widow acquire a marketable skill and become self-reliant by giving her a one-time grant of up to Rs 20,000 once she completes a recognised vocational course. It is not a monthly pension and not a scholarship for children, it is a single skilling grant aimed only at the widow herself.

This is a genuinely small, tightly-targeted scheme. It sits alongside other RMEWF-funded measures such as education grants for children of ex-servicemen and assistance for orphans and disabled dependants. Readers looking for a broad ex-servicemen welfare benefit should treat this page as covering only the widows' vocational-training grant.

Who is eligible for the RMEWF vocational training grant?

You can apply if:

• You are the widow of an ex-serviceman whose rank was up to Havildar (or Naik/Leading rank equivalent in the Navy and Air Force).
• Your late husband was a bona-fide ex-serviceman as recorded in his discharge documents.
• You have completed a recognised vocational training course and hold a completion certificate.
• Your case is recommended by your Zila Sainik Board (ZSB).

You cannot apply if:

• Your late husband held a rank above Havildar, widows of JCOs and commissioned officers are not eligible for this particular grant.
• You have not yet completed the training. The grant is released only after successful completion.
• You are not registered with, or recommended by, a Zila Sainik Board.

The rank ceiling is the single most important filter. The scheme deliberately concentrates the fund on the widows of the most junior soldiers, who are the most likely to need income support. Because it is a one-time grant, a widow who has already received it for a completed course cannot claim it again for the same training.

What documents are required?

All documents typically need to be attested by the Zila Sainik Welfare Officer (ZSWO) before the application is forwarded to KSB.

How to apply for the RMEWF widow vocational training grant

1. Complete a recognised vocational course first, for example at a state ITI, a Sainik Board training centre or a reputed private institute, and obtain the completion certificate.
2. Register on the Kendriya Sainik Board portal at ksb.gov.in, creating a login and activating the account through the email link.
3. Start a new application and select the RMEWF vocational training assistance for widows.
4. Fill in your details — your late husband's service particulars, rank, your widow I-card number and your bank account (PNB or SBI with IFSC).
5. Upload the supporting documents; discharge certificate, death certificate, widow I-card and training completion certificate: duly attested.
6. Submit the application to your Zila Sainik Board, which verifies the papers and forwards the recommended case to the Kendriya Sainik Board for sanction.
7. Track the status through your Zila Sainik Board; the grant, once sanctioned, is credited to the bank account you provided.

If you are unsure of the process, visit your district's Zila Sainik Board / Zila Sainik Welfare Office in person, they maintain the records of local ex-servicemen and their dependants and handle these applications routinely.

How much is the benefit and how is it paid?

The scheme provides a one-time grant of up to Rs 20,000, released after the widow completes her vocational training. It is paid directly into the widow's bank account. Because it is a single reimbursement-style payment, there are no instalments and no annual renewal. The Kendriya Sainik Board decides the sanctioned amount within the ceiling on the basis of the Zila Sainik Board's recommendation.

Where to get help

• Zila Sainik Board / Zila Sainik Welfare Office in your district is the first point of contact for all ex-servicemen welfare schemes, including this one. They verify documents, issue the widow I-card and forward applications.
• Kendriya Sainik Board, New Delhi, administers the RMEWF and sanctions the grant. Scheme details and the application portal are available at ksb.gov.in.

Note that the widow I-card and Zila Sainik Board recommendation are prerequisites, no application can move forward without them. There is no fee for applying, and no agent is needed; the Zila Sainik Welfare Office assists eligible widows free of charge.