New Delhi. Before Diwali (Diwali 2025), there is great news for ex-servicemen and their families. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has increased the financial assistance provided to ex-servicemen and their dependents by 100 percent. Issuing an official statement, the Defense Ministry said that this increased benefit will be available in the schemes run by the Ex-Servicemen Welfare Department through the Kendriya Sainik Board.
The Defense Ministry said the poverty grant has been doubled from Rs 4,000 to Rs 8,000 per month per beneficiary, which will provide lifelong support to senior citizens above 65 years of age and non-pensionable ex-servicemen and their widows who have no regular income.
Education subsidy for widows with two dependent children (from Class 1 to graduation) or pursuing a two-year graduation course has been increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per month per person. Marriage grant has been increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per beneficiary. This grant is applicable to a maximum of two daughters of ex-servicemen and for widow remarriage, for marriages solemnized after the issue of this order.
Let us inform that the revised rates will be applicable to the applications submitted from November 1, whose annual financial burden will be approximately Rs 257 crore. This will be paid from AFFDF. These schemes are financed through the Defense Minister’s Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund, a sub-group of the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF). This decision will strengthen the social security mechanism for non-pensioned ex-servicemen, widows and dependents of low income groups.