A martyr’s daughter gets a one-time grant for her wedding — Rs 1,00,000 per daughter, for up to two daughters. This is the “Marriage Grant to War Widows’ Daughters of Ex-Servicemen” scheme — the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) marriage grant from the central Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund (RMEWF), which also covers war widows’ daughters. The rate rose from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 with effect from 1 November 2025. You must apply online on the KSB portal (ksb.gov.in) within 180 days of the marriage, and the application needs your Zila Sainik Board’s (ZSB) recommendation. Please note — the Haryana Sainik Welfare Department’s own state policy document for this grant (“Marriage Grant-War Widow ESM”) could not be opened from here (the portal did not load), so before applying, confirm the current rate and conditions in writing at your ZSB.
Before going further, clear the biggest confusion — this is NOT the Mukhyamantri Vivah Shagun scheme (Rs 51,000), nor the Labour Department’s marriage assistance (Rs 51,000), nor BOCW Kanyadan. And one rule must be understood clearly — only one grant is paid for one daughter’s marriage: if you take the KSB marriage grant for a daughter’s wedding, you cannot also take money from any state marriage scheme for the same wedding, and vice versa. So before applying, weigh both — the KSB’s Rs 1 lakh is roughly double the Vivah Shagun’s Rs 51,000.
Scheme at a Glance
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scheme name | Marriage Grant to War Widows’ Daughters of Ex-Servicemen; myScheme Haryana list entry #17 (pages 1–5) |
| Run by | Central Government — Ministry of Defence, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW), Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB); delivered in Haryana through the Zila/Rajya Sainik Boards |
| Benefit | One-time grant for a daughter’s wedding — Rs 1,00,000 per daughter, up to two daughters (Rs 2 lakh total) |
| Current rate | Rs 1,00,000 per daughter — from 1 November 2025 (earlier Rs 50,000; older pages may still show Rs 50,000) |
| Who gets it | Daughter of a war widow (martyr’s daughter); the scheme also covers daughters of ESM/widows and a widow’s remarriage |
| Rank condition | Husband/father’s rank Havildar or below (Army) or the equivalent rank in the Navy/Air Force — JCO/officer families are not eligible |
| How to apply | Online — KSB portal ksb.gov.in; the application moves on the ZSB’s recommendation; no SARAL service for this grant has been verified |
| Deadline | Apply within 180 days of the marriage date — no annual last date; applications are not accepted after 180 days |
| Fund | Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund (RMEWF) — part of the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF); no state budget money is involved |
| Second daughter | A separate fresh online application for the second daughter’s wedding — a separate 180-day count from each wedding |
| Widow remarriage | The same scheme also pays Rs 1,00,000 one-time for a war widow’s own remarriage — the marriage must be after the new rate came in |
How Much Do You Get? — Full Rate History
This grant has run since 1981 and its amount has been raised four times. The table below gives the rate for each period — the new rate applies only to marriages that took place after it came into effect.
| Since | Amount (per daughter) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 (start) | Rs 3,000 | Start of the RMEWF marriage grant |
| May 2007 | Rs 16,000 | First increase — maximum two daughters |
| 1 April 2016 | Rs 50,000 | Second increase — for marriages on or after 1 April 2016 |
| 1 November 2025 | Rs 1,00,000 | Raksha Mantri’s 100% increase order (15 October 2025) — for applications received from 1 November 2025 |
| Two daughters (total) | Up to Rs 2,00,000 | Rs 1,00,000 × 2 — a separate application for each daughter |
The maths is simple — Rs 50,000 ran from 2016 to 2025, and on 15 October 2025 Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh approved a 100% increase in all three welfare grants (penury, education, marriage). The marriage grant went from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 — the new rate applies only to marriages that took place after the order, and to applications received from 1 November 2025. So if the wedding was before 1 November 2025, the old rate (Rs 50,000) applies — not the new one. One more important point — many older government pages and old KSB documents still show Rs 50,000, because they have not been updated after the 2025 increase; for the current rate see the Ministry of Defence order of 15 October 2025 and Rajya Sabha Question 2591 (16 March 2026), and confirm with the ZSB.
The Biggest Confusion — This Grant vs Other Marriage Schemes
In Haryana several schemes pay money for a daughter’s wedding and each has different conditions — most confusion is about which scheme pays whom and whether you can take money from two schemes together. The table below makes the difference clear — and remember, only one grant per wedding.
| Scheme | For whom | Amount | Key condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| This scheme — War Widow Daughter Marriage Grant (KSB) | Daughter of a martyr/ESM (Havildar or below) | Rs 1,00,000 per daughter (max 2) | Apply on KSB portal within 180 days; not with a state grant |
| Mukhyamantri Vivah Shagun (guide 5470) | Daughter of a widow/poor family (income ≤ Rs 1.80 lakh) | Rs 51,000 (SC/DT Rs 71,000) | Apply via SARAL; within 6 months of the marriage |
| Marriage Assistance — HLWB (guide 7706) | Daughter/self of a registered worker (5 years’ service) | Rs 51,000 | Wage ceiling Rs 20,000/month; workers’ families only |
| Kanyadan — BOCW (guide 6141) | Daughter of a construction worker (up to 3 daughters) | Rs 51,000 + Rs 50,000 = Rs 1,01,000 | BOCW registration needed; workers’ families only |
| War Widow Assistance (guide 7773) | Widow of a martyr (monthly) | Rs 7,000/month | Monthly assistance, not a wedding grant — both can run together |
| Shaheed Samman (guide 6075) | Family of a martyr | Rs 1 crore one-time ex-gratia | One-time on martyrdom; nothing to do with weddings |
| Widow remarriage grant (KSB, in this scheme) | A war widow’s own remarriage | Rs 1,00,000 one-time | Grant must not have been taken on the first marriage |
Who Is Eligible?
Every condition below must be met — these are the KSB/RMEWF marriage grant’s conditions; where a fact could not be verified, this guide says so clearly.
| Condition | Detail |
|---|---|
| Applicant | An ex-serviceman (ESM) or his widow — including a war widow; an orphan daughter can apply herself |
| Daughter | Daughter of a martyr/ESM; above 18 years of age at the time of the wedding |
| Rank | Husband/father’s rank Havildar or below (Army) or the equivalent rank in the Navy/Air Force |
| Pension | Pensioners and non-pensioners are both eligible — whether pension is received or not makes no difference |
| Wedding | The wedding must have taken place; apply within 180 days of the wedding date |
| Two daughters | Grant for up to two daughters’ weddings — a separate application for each daughter |
| No other grant | No marriage grant from the state government or the service for the same daughter’s wedding — a certificate/declaration is required |
| ZSB recommendation | The application moves forward only on the Zila Sainik Board’s recommendation — it is not complete without ZSB/RSB |
Who Is NOT Eligible?
In any of the situations below, this grant will not be paid — check yourself against this list before applying.
- Husband/father’s rank was above Havildar — such as a JCO (Naib Subedar/Subedar) or an officer; the KSB marriage grant is only for Havildar and below. This is the scheme’s biggest limitation.
- The husband was not an ex-serviceman — for example a paramilitary (CAPF) jawan; this scheme is only for ESM/widows of the defence forces (Army, Navy, Air Force).
- The daughter was below 18 years of age at the wedding — no grant is paid for a child marriage.
- You have already taken a state/service grant for the same daughter’s wedding — such as Mukhyamantri Vivah Shagun (Rs 51,000) or any other marriage grant; the rule is one grant per wedding.
- More than 180 days have passed since the wedding — applications are not accepted after the time limit (except the special relaxation for the KSB portal outage — see below).
- The grant has already been taken for that daughter’s wedding — one daughter’s one wedding gets the grant only once; a separate application is needed for the second daughter.
The Rank Condition — Havildar or Below
The most important and most misunderstood condition of this scheme is the rank rule — the grant goes only to ex-servicemen and their widows whose rank was Havildar or below (Havildar in the Army; the equivalent rank in the Navy and Air Force). The family of a JCO (such as Naib Subedar or Subedar) or any officer does not get this grant — even if she is a war widow. This condition exists because the KSB scheme was made especially for lower-rank jawans and their families, whose economic condition is taken to be weaker. So before applying, do check the husband/father’s rank in the discharge book — if the rank is above Havildar, do not waste time on this grant; in that case look at state options such as Mukhyamantri Vivah Shagun (Rs 51,000, with an income condition). Whether pension is received or not makes no difference; pensioners and non-pensioners are both eligible.
Documents Required
The list below is the verified KSB marriage grant list. Before applying, confirm the exact list at your Zila Sainik Board, because one missing paper will stall the case — and the 180-day clock keeps running.
| No. | Document | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Online application (KSB portal) | Filled form after registration on ksb.gov.in; moves ahead with the ZSB recommendation |
| 2 | Husband/father’s discharge book | Colour scan — the daughter’s name must be entered in it; proof of rank and service |
| 3 | Daughter’s age proof | Birth certificate / Aadhaar / Voter ID — proof of 18+ at the time of the wedding |
| 4 | Marriage certificate | Issued by the marriage registrar / village sarpanch — proof of the wedding date |
| 5 | Certificate of no other grant | Applicant’s certificate that no state/service marriage grant was taken for the same wedding |
| 6 | Aadhaar card | Of the applicant (widow) and the daughter — identity proof |
| 7 | Bank account details | First page of the passbook / cancelled cheque — name, account number, bank and IFSC clearly visible |
| 8 | ESM/widow identity card | Issued by the ZSB — confirm with the ZSB |
| 9 | Self-declaration form | Prescribed KSB portal form — download it from the portal; confirm with the ZSB |
How to Apply
The application for this grant is online (KSB portal) — no SARAL service for this grant has been verified. Apply by the steps below, and watch the 180-day deadline carefully.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Check eligibility — you are a war widow, the husband/father’s rank was Havildar or below, the daughter is 18+, and no other grant was taken for the same wedding |
| 2 | Gather documents — discharge book (with the daughter’s name), daughter’s age proof, marriage certificate, no-other-grant certificate, Aadhaar, bank details (see the list above) |
| 3 | Register on the KSB portal — register at ksb.gov.in and fill the online marriage grant application |
| 4 | Upload documents — scan all papers and upload them on the portal; also attach the self-declaration form |
| 5 | ZSB recommendation — the application travels from the Zila Sainik Board through the Rajya Sainik Board to the KSB; stay in touch with the ZSB office |
| 6 | Sanction and payment — after KSB sanction the grant comes directly into the bank account (DBT); check status on the KSB portal and at the ZSB |
For a second daughter’s wedding the same process must be repeated — a separate fresh application for each daughter, and a separate 180-day count from each wedding. Please note — the KSB website was down/not working properly for maintenance from 18 August to 7 September 2026, so by letter No. 195/Welfare/Misc/2026-27 (September 2026) KSB gave a special relaxation to applicants whose 180-day period was expiring between 18 August and 7 September 2026 — they could apply till 30 September 2026. That relaxation has now passed (30 September 2026 is gone) — the normal 180-day rule applies now; if the portal fails, inform the ZSB in writing at once and keep the evidence.
Fee, Timeline and Status Check
- Fee: No government fee for the application is stated in any official source — no fee is being claimed here; ask the ZSB/KSB.
- Deadline: Online application within 180 days of the wedding date — that is this scheme’s real last date; there is no annual last date.
- Status check: Check your application’s status on the KSB portal (ksb.gov.in); you can also ask at your Zila Sainik Board office.
- RTS: No Right to Service (RTS) time limit for this service was found in any official source — no number of days is stated here.
- Disposal time: No official source states how many days sanction takes — no number of days is stated here.
How Will the Money Come? — Payment Route
After sanction the grant comes one-time into the widow’s bank account — the route is as follows:
- Fund (Centre) — Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund (RMEWF), part of the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF); the money comes from this central fund, not from the state budget.
- Sanction (KSB) — the Kendriya Sainik Board sanctions it; the application travels from the ZSB through the RSB to the KSB on recommendation.
- Payment (DBT) — after sanction Rs 1,00,000 comes directly into the bank account; older information said a savings account with PNB or SBI was asked for — confirm the current rule on the KSB portal/ZSB.
- One-time, not monthly — this is a single one-time grant, not a monthly pension/assistance; the war widow’s Rs 7,000 monthly assistance (guide 7773) continues separately.
- Two daughters = two payments — a separate application and a separate Rs 1,00,000 for each daughter’s wedding; maximum Rs 2,00,000 in total.
When Will the Money Come, and Why Is It Delayed?
No official KSB information states in how many days the money comes after the application — no number of days is stated here. The most common causes of delay are these — incomplete documents (especially the daughter’s name not entered in the discharge book, or no marriage certificate), delay in the ZSB recommendation, or applying in the last days of the 180-day window. So apply right after the wedding; do not wait for the last week — if the portal does not open or a paper gets stuck, there will be no time left to fix it. The September 2026 relaxation also makes it clear that KSB applies the 180-day rule strictly — the relaxation was a one-time exception, only for those whose period was expiring during the portal outage. Keep checking your application’s status on the KSB portal and stay in touch with the ZSB.
Scheme Budget and Scale
This grant does not run on the state budget — so the Haryana Sainik Welfare Department’s budget statement (as on 18 February 2025) has no separate budget head for it. The money comes from the central fund, and the scale is as follows:
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fund | RMEWF (Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund) — part of the AFFDF |
| Annual impact of the three grants | About Rs 257 crore (100% increase in the penury + education + marriage grants, 2025) |
| Beneficiaries | About 20,000 people from the three increased grants (Ministry of Defence, October 2025) |
| State budget head | None — the Haryana department’s 2024-25 budget statement has no marriage grant head |
| History | Scheme running since 1981; rate Rs 3,000 → Rs 16,000 → Rs 50,000 → Rs 1,00,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How much assistance is paid under this scheme?
Rs 1,00,000 one-time per daughter, for up to two daughters (Rs 2 lakh total). This rate applies from 1 November 2025 — earlier it was Rs 50,000. The wedding must be after 1 November 2025, otherwise the old rate applies.
2. Is this grant only for war widows’ daughters?
No — this is the KSB marriage grant for daughters of all eligible ESM/widows. War widows’ daughters are also covered — myScheme lists it as “Marriage Grant to War Widows’ Daughters” because the war-widow part is separately recorded in the Haryana list. The conditions are the same for everyone — rank Havildar or below, daughter 18+, apply within 180 days.
3. What is the rank condition?
The husband/father’s rank must be Havildar or below (Havildar in the Army; the equivalent in the Navy/Air Force). Families of JCOs or officers do not get this grant — even if she is a war widow. Whether pension is received or not makes no difference.
4. Can I take Vivah Shagun (Rs 51,000) along with this?
No. Only one grant is paid for one daughter’s wedding — if you take the KSB marriage grant, you cannot take Mukhyamantri Vivah Shagun or any other state/service marriage grant for the same wedding. When choosing, look at the amount — the KSB’s Rs 1 lakh is roughly double the Vivah Shagun’s Rs 51,000.
5. By when must I apply?
Within 180 days of the wedding date, online on the KSB portal (ksb.gov.in). Applications are not accepted after 180 days. The September 2026 relaxation till 30 September was only for people affected by the portal outage and has now passed.
6. Where do I apply — SARAL or the KSB portal?
On the KSB portal (ksb.gov.in), online. No SARAL service for this grant has been verified — SARAL carries state schemes such as Vivah Shagun; this is the central KSB scheme. The application moves on the ZSB’s recommendation, so stay in touch with the ZSB office.
7. Will I get it for a second daughter’s wedding too?
Yes — for up to two daughters. A separate fresh online application must be made for the second daughter, and a separate 180-day count runs from her wedding.
8. What about a widow’s own remarriage?
The same scheme pays Rs 1,00,000 one-time for a widow’s remarriage too — provided the marriage is after the new rate came in and this grant was not taken on the first marriage.
9. In which account will the money come?
Directly into the bank account (DBT) after sanction. Older information said a savings account with PNB or SBI was asked for — confirm the current rule on the KSB portal/ZSB.
10. Will this come along with the war widow’s Rs 7,000 monthly assistance?
Yes. The Rs 7,000-per-month war widow assistance (guide 7773) is monthly assistance and this marriage grant is one-time — the two are different and can run together. The bar is only on taking two marriage grants for the same wedding.
Official Links and Contact
The links below are official sources. The myScheme detail page could not be verified, so myScheme is cited by its list entry number, not by a link. The Haryana department’s state policy document (“Marriage Grant-War Widow ESM”) could not be opened from here — its link is not given.
- Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) portal: ksb.gov.in — online application for the marriage grant from here; ZSB recommendation is required
- Sainik Welfare Department, Haryana: sainikwelfareharyana.gov.in — the Rajya Sainik Board’s website; “Marriage Grant-War Widow ESM” is listed in its policy list
- Ministry of Defence — increase order: 15 October 2025 — marriage grant raised from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 (for applications received from 1 November 2025); see also the PIB release
- Rajya Sabha Question 2591: 16 March 2026 — schemes for widows of martyred soldiers; its annexure lists the marriage grant as Rs 1,00,000 (up to two daughters, Havildar and below)
- Rajya Sainik Board headquarters: Sector-12, Panchkula; phone 0172-5210277; email [email protected]
- Related guides — War Widow Assistance Rs 7,000/month: War Widow Assistance | Ex-Servicemen 60+ Assistance: Ex-Servicemen 60+ Assistance | Marriage Assistance HLWB: HLWB Marriage Assistance | Home Loan Interest Subsidy for War Widows: Home Loan Subsidy | Mukhyamantri Vivah Shagun (Hindi guide): Vivah Shagun Scheme | Shaheed Samman Rs 1 Crore (Hindi guide): Shaheed Samman Scheme | DAYALU (Hindi guide): DAYALU Scheme
Disclaimer
This guide was prepared on 9 November 2026 from the official sources available — the Ministry of Defence’s increase order of 15 October 2025 (PIB release), Rajya Sabha Question 2591 (16 March 2026) and Question 1159 (10 March 2025), the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) marriage grant information, the Haryana Sainik Welfare Department’s website (policy list and the 2024-25 budget statement as on 18 February 2025), and the myScheme Haryana list (entry #17). The most important point: the Rs 1,00,000 rate applies from 1 November 2025; the Haryana department’s state policy document (“Marriage Grant-War Widow ESM”) could not be opened from here, so if any separate state-level condition or rate exists, it is not in this guide. The amount, eligibility and process can change — before applying, do get the latest information in writing from your Zila Sainik Board and the KSB portal. Where sources differ or a fact could not be verified (especially the full text of the Haryana state policy, the PNB/SBI account rule, the disposal time, the fee and the RTS time limit), this guide says so plainly. Viksit Haryana is not an official portal of any government department.
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