Defence News

What is About AWWA Grant and Who can Apply ? The Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) runs a cluster of welfare schemes for families of Army personnel. The Education & Technical Scholarship is one of its flagship programmes. It is wholly funded by AWWA and targets two broad beneficiary groups: The scheme is deliberately flexible: the AWWA President … Read more

DRDO and AIIMS Bibinagar Unveil ADIDOC: A Game-Changing Carbon Fibre Foot Prosthesis under ₹20,000 In a landmark achievement that reinforces India’s vision of self-reliance under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), in collaboration with AIIMS Bibinagar, has successfully unveiled ADIDOC – an Advanced Carbon … Read more

CSD Card Renewal Guide In a major digital step toward improving services for the Armed Forces community, the Indian Armed Forces, in collaboration with Smart Chip Private Limited (SCPL), has launched a dedicated online web portal for the renewal of CSD Smart Cards. SCPL, a leader in smart card identity and integrated software solutions, proudly … Read more

The Central Organisation ECHS (Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme), under the Adjutant General’s Branch at the Integrated Headquarters of MoD (Army), has introduced a simplified online procedure for changing the Parent Polyclinic for its beneficiaries. This streamlined process is based on feedback received from the environment and aims to ease access to healthcare services for ECHS … Read more

The ECHS (Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme) Mobile App allows Ex-Servicemen (ESM) and their family members to easily access healthcare services, view appointments, and manage their ECHS card digitally. To use the app, it is mandatory to first register the ECHS card at the nearest polyclinic. Here is a step-by-step guide to register and log in … Read more

🏛️ Case Background Here is a structured summary of the Supreme Court’s latest order in connection with applicability of Gratuity under various Gratuity Rules with referrinca the case of Vikram Bhalchandra Ghongade v. Headmistress Girls High School & Junior College, Wardha, dated 14 July 2025, along with context and implications: ✅ Key Legal Findings 🧭 … Read more

In times of emergency or need, knowing the right helpline number can save lives, protect rights, and ensure quick action. Below is a curated list of essential toll-free numbers that every citizen should keep handy. These numbers are operational across India and provide services ranging from medical emergencies to corruption complaints. 🚨 Emergency Services Service … Read more

🔎 Context and Importance Ex-servicemen, particularly Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and Other Ranks (ORs), are often re-employed in various Central/State Government departments, PSUs, banks, and autonomous bodies after retirement. One persistent issue in such re-employment is the non-grant of proper pay fixation benefits and unclear treatment of Dearness Relief (DR) on pension. The Circular No. … Read more

Background Under Central Government rules, annual increment is due on 1st January or 1st July. Employees who retired on 31st December or 30th June, despite completing one full year of qualifying service, were denied the increment because they were not in service on the increment date. This led to multiple legal challenges culminating in a … Read more

Empowering India’s Bravehearts Beyond Service The June 2025 issue of the DESW Veterans’ Newsletter offers a detailed glimpse into the latest initiatives, reforms, and stories of inspiration from across India, aimed at strengthening the welfare ecosystem for ex-servicemen (ESM), their families, and dependents. Here’s a structured overview of the key highlights: 🏛️ Pensions & Policy … Read more

Confusion of Dual Family Pension Families of retired Armed Forces personnel often face confusion about their entitlements, especially in cases where the pensioner is re-employed in a civil capacity and later passes away. A major reform addressed this concern through the grant of two family pensions — one from the military side and the other … Read more

What was the case ? The Union of India filed a series of writ petitions in Delhi High Court challenging the orders passed by various Benches of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT). These orders had granted disability pension benefits to retired armed forces personnel (both officers and other ranks) whose disabilities were incurred during or … Read more

Exserviceman Apply Now The Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) Cell, Station HQ Secunderabad, under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, invites applications for the recruitment of Medical, Para-Medical, and Non-Medical staff on a contractual basis for 89 days. The appointments will be funded through ECHS Fund, Station Welfare Fund (SWF), and URC Profit Fund … Read more

Agniveer Recruitment Rally Programme – Unit Headquarters Quota Effective From: 31 July 2025Recruitment Year: 2025-26Conducted By: ASC Centre (North), Bengaluru – 560007 1. Purpose of Recruitment Rally 2. Category of Candidates Eligible Only the following categories are eligible to participate: (a) Son of War Widow / Battle Casualty(b) Son of Widow of Servicemen/Ex-Servicemen(c) Son of … Read more

Shirdi Saigarh provides affordable and well-maintained accommodation facilities exclusively for serving and retired defence personnel and their families. Below is the revised structure of room tariffs, including booking procedures and important guidelines effective from 01 October 2022. 🛏️ Room Tariff Structure 1. Double Bed Rooms Category Offrs/JCOs/OR Dependents Non-Dependents VIP Maj Gen & Above Offrs … Read more