Background
This scheme to provide financial assistance to ESM and their widows for helping them in educating their wards was started in 1981 with an amount of Rs 15/- per child per month for a maximum of three children up to Class XII. This scheme was last revised in Oct 2011 into a monthly grant of Rs 1000/- per month per child (for maximum two children) up to graduation and also for widows to pursue Post Graduation degree.
Aim
Aim of this scheme is to provide scholarship to up to a maximum of two dependent children of ESM or their widows, up to the ranks of Havildar in the Army and equivalent in the Navy and Air Force, and to widows for post graduation degree course.
Financial Assistance
For education is provided out of AFFD Fund @ Rs.1000/- per month per head (up to max two children) of eligible ESM and their widows, for the previous academic year, payable in one installment in a financial year. This is applicable for classes 1 to 12 of school and undergraduate classes of a degree college. This grant is also admissible to widows who wish to pursue 2-year post graduate degree. This grant is not applicable for any of the professional or technical courses/degrees.
Eligibility Conditions
The following criteria must be fulfilled to avail this grant:-
(a) Applicant must be an ESM/ widow/Orphan dependent.
(b) Should be of rank Havildar/equivalent and below.
(c) The child should have passed the previous class.
(d) Should be recommended by respective Zila Sainik Board (ZSB).
(e) Should not be drawing education allowance from the State or his Employer.
Application Form
Application should be made on the prescribed application form with verification of concerned Zila Sainik Welfare Officer (ZSWO) online. A specimen application form is placed as Annexure 1. Copies of the following documents duly attested by the respective ZSWO must accompany the application:-
(a) Service Document/Discharge Book of ESM (Page that contains ESM/Personal Particulars,Service Particulars and Family Particulars )
(b) ESM or Widow I-Card issued by respective ZSB.
(c) Mark-sheet / School Progress Card of child/children.
(d) Part –II Order mentioning names of the child(ren) for which grant is sought or the reshould be a proper entry to this effect in the Discharge Book/Documents.
(e) A certificate from applicant saying that he/she has not taken any money/grant from the state or present employer in the form of education allowance or scholarship.
(f) Details of Bank A/c No (in PNB/SBI only) and IFS Code.
(g) Aadhar Card copy.
Channel of Application
The application for the just concluded academic year must be submitted online by an eligible ESM / their widows to respective ZSB from the month of May for Classes 1st to 9th & 11th and from the month ofJul for Board classes 10th & 12th. For under-graduate courses (non technical and non professional), applications will be submitted from the month of Aug. ZSWO will scrutinize the online applications, give appointment to the applicant and after due verification, will recommend the online application and forward it via RSB to the KSB Sectt for approval and payment in the current financial year. The cutoff date for all categories is Nov for the financial year, Cases older than one year will not be accepted.
Processing at KSB
On receipt at the KSB Sectt, the applications will be checked online. The Section-in-Charge will assign them file to the designated clerk who will check data of the applications into computer. Another clerk will be designated to check correctness of the entries and eligibility of applicants. Section-in-Charge will also check the same and recommend them online to JD(Welfare). Such applications in a lot pertaining to AFFDF will be moved for approval of the competent authority preferably on a quarterly basis.
Payment Procedure
After approval of the applications, the same will be processed for payment by the Welfare Section. After verifying the service number, name, bankers, IFS Code and account number of the applicants, Welfare Section will forward the approved list to the Accounts Section for payments, which will release the payments via ECS to the beneficiaries.
Subsequent Grant
Fresh application is required to be made for all the subsequent academic years provided the child(ren) has/have satisfactorily advanced to the next class.Subsequent application should also be submitted through ZSB in the month of May. ZSB will forward all the applications online to KSB Sectt by each year for consideration in the current financial year.