India Has 6.98 Lakh Widows Of Ex-Servicemen, Check Schemes For Them
New Delhi, 8th December 2023: State-wise data of Widows of Ex-servicemen in the country is given below:
| S No | State/UT | No of Widows Registered | |||
| Army | Navy | Air Force | Total | ||
| 1 | ANDHRA PRADESH | 23,587 | 877 | 1,388 | 25,852 |
| 2 | ARUNACHAL PRADESH | 226 | 0 | 0 | 226 |
| 3 | ASSAM | 8,543 | 66 | 557 | 9,166 |
| 4 | BIHAR | 10,469 | 541 | 778 | 11,788 |
| 5 | CHHATTISGARH | 1,433 | 35 | 75 | 1,543 |
| 6 | DELHI | 10,362 | 1,262 | 2,405 | 14,029 |
| 7 | GOA | 267 | 156 | 54 | 477 |
| 8 | GUJARAT | 4,376 | 90 | 583 | 5,049 |
| 9 | HARYANA | 47,224 | 3,620 | 2,702 | 53,546 |
| 10 | HIMACHAL PRADESH | 38,490 | 508 | 369 | 39,367 |
| 11 | JAMMU & KASHMIR | 21,638 | 53 | 199 | 21,890 |
| 12 | JHARKHAND | 4,364 | 227 | 210 | 4,801 |
| 13 | KARNATAKA | 26,526 | 716 | 2,498 | 29,740 |
| 14 | KERALA | 58,617 | 2,843 | 8,047 | 69,507 |
| 15 | MADHYA PRADESH | 11,244 | 238 | 428 | 11,910 |
| 16 | MAHARASHTRA | 60,994 | 1,559 | 2447 | 65,000 |
| 17 | MANIPUR | 2,077 | 26 | 10 | 2,113 |
| 18 | MEGHALAYA | 1,361 | 34 | 45 | 1,440 |
| 19 | MIZORAM | 2,658 | 16 | 25 | 2,699 |
| 20 | NAGALAND | 937 | 0 | 2 | 939 |
| 21 | ODISHA | 4,036 | 156 | 317 | 4,509 |
| 22 | PUNJAB | 60,261 | 4,236 | 9,756 | 74,253 |
| 23 | RAJASTHAN | 43,394 | 498 | 773 | 44,665 |
| 24 | SIKKIM | 412 | 3 | 1 | 416 |
| 25 | TAMIL NADU | 54,520 | 1,012 | 3,332 | 58,864 |
| 26 | TRIPURA | 660 | 18 | 27 | 705 |
| 27 | TELANAGANA | 5,710 | 207 | 1,155 | 7,072 |
| 28 | UTTARAKHAND | 48087 | 397 | 440 | 48,924 |
| 29 | UTTAR PRADESH | 59,053 | 4,634 | 5,128 | 68,815 |
| 30 | WEST BENGAL | 12052 | 617 | 1,710 | 14,379 |
| 31 | ANDAMAN & NICOBAR | 171 | 17 | 4 | 192 |
| 32 | CHANDIGARH | 1870 | 84 | 686 | 2,640 |
| 33 | PUDUCHERRY | 740 | 24 | 79 | 843 |
| 34 | LADAKH | 889 | 0 | 4 | 893 |
| Total | 6,27,248 | 24,770 | 46,234 | 6,98,252 | |
The widows of ex-servicemen are entitled for family pension which is revised under OROP after every five years. The family pension is also linked with dearness relief which is revised after every six months.
Government reviews the various welfare measures extended to war widows/families in Armed Forces time to time. A list of welfare measures which has been revised recently is as under:
| S No | Scheme | Previous Amount | Last Revised Amount | Date of last revision |
| 1 | Ex-gratia causality (Fatal) provided via Armed Forces Battle Causalities Welfare Fund
a) Fatal b) Disability 60% and above c) Invalidated out due to disability d) Disability less than 60% |
Rs 2 lakh Rs 2 lakh
Rs 2 lakh
Rs 1 lakh |
Rs 8 lakh Rs 8 lakh
Rs 8 lakh
Rs 4 lakh |
May 06, 2020. |
| 2 | 100% Disable Children Grant | Rs 1,000/- per month | Rs 3,000/- per month | July 09, 2021 |
| 3 | Orphan Grant | Rs 1,000/- per month | Rs 3,000/- per month | July 29, 2022 |
| 4 | Medical Grant | Rs 30,000/- per annum | Rs 50,000/- per annum | August 11, 2023 |
| 5 | Serious Disease Grant | Rs 1,25,000/- per annum | Rs 1,50,000/- per annum | |
| 6 | Vocational training grant | Rs 20,000/- One time | Rs 50,000/- One time | |
| 7 | Cost of books/stationery | Rs 1,000/- per annum per student | Rs 2,000/- per annum per student | These allowances are revised in each Pay Commission and the last revision came in force w.e.f July 01, 2017. These allowances shall go up by 25% each time DA rise by 50%.
|
| 8 | Cost of uniform | Rs 1,700/- (during first year and Rs 700 for subsequent years) |
Rs 2,000/- per annum per student | |
| 9 | Clothing | Rs 500/- (during first year and Rs 300 for subsequent years) | Rs 700/- per annum |
War widows/families are provided employment through schemes of employment through compassionate appointment. Guidelines for compassionate appointment have been issued by DoP&T. Under the scheme, wards/dependents of war widows/martyr are also considered alongwith others as per extant rules. Compassionate appointments have been granted to 32 widows/family members of deceased defence personnel during the year 2022.
This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Ajay Bhatt in a written reply to Sunil Dattatray Tatkare in Lok Sabha today.
