DEPARTMENT OF 
| S.No. | Sec. Of RTI Act | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Section 4(1)(b)(i): | Particulars of organisation, functions and duties |
| 2. | Section 4(1)(b)(ii): | Powers and duties of its officers and employees |
| 3. | Section 4(1)(b)(iii): | Procedures followed in the decision making process including channels of supervision and accountability |
| 4. | Section 4(1)(b)(iv): | Norms for the discharge of functions |
| 5. | Section 4(1)(b)(v): | Rules, regulations, Instructions, manuals and records held by it or under its control or used by its employees for discharging its functions. |
| 6. | Section 4(1)(b)(vi): | Statement of the categories of documents that are held by it or under its control. |
| 7. | Section 4(1)(b)(vii): | Particulars of any arrangement that exists for consultation with or representation by the members of the public in relation to the formulation of its policy or implementation thereof. |
| 8. | Section 4(1)(b)(viii): | A statement of the boards, councils, committees and other bodies consisting of two or more persons constituted as its part or for the purpose of its advice... |
| 9. | Section 4(1)(b)(ix): | Directory of officers and employees |
| 10. | Section 4(1)(b)(x): | Monthly remuneration received by officers and employees. |
| 11. | Section 4(1)(b)(xi): | Budget allocated to each agency, indicating the particulars of all plans, proposed expenditure and reports on disbursement made |
| 12. | Section 4(1)(b)(xii): | Manner of execution of subsidy programmes, including the amounts allocated and the details of beneficiaries of such programmes. |
| 13. | Section 4(1)(b)(xiii): | Details in respect of the information, available to or held by it. Reduced in an electronic form. |
| 14. | Section 4(1)(b)(xiv): | The particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining Information, including the working hours of a library or reading Room... |
| 15. | Section 4(1)(b)(xv): | The particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining Information, including the working hours of a library or reading Room... |
| 16. | Section 4(1)(b)(xvi): | The names, designations and other particulars of the Public Information officers; |
4(1)(b)(i): Particulars of organisation, functions and duties.
Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW)
In view of the expanding population of Ex-Servicemen (ESM) and widows, there were persistent demands from Service Headquarters and various associations for a separate Department to look after the welfare, resettlement and rehabilitation of ESM, war widows and their dependents. In 1986, a decision was taken to create an independent Resettlement Division in the Department of Defence.
A new Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW) was created in the Ministry of Defence on 22nd September, 2004 in order to pay focused attention to the welfare and resettlement of ESM. DESW is mandated to formulate and implement various policies and programmes for the welfare and resettlement of Ex-Servicemen in the country. The Department consists of two Divisions i.e. (i) Pension Division; and (ii) Resettlement Division. The Pension Division of the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare deals with pension policies for the Armed Forces personnel and redressal of grievances of Ex-servicemen whereas the Resettlement Division looks after the remaining matters.
Further, DESW has 3 Attached Offices which are as under: (i) Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat (KSB Sectt.), (ii) Directorate General of Resettlement (DGR), and (iii) Central Organisation, Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (CO, ECHS).
Kendriya Sainik Board Sectt. is responsible for the welfare of Ex-Servicemen and their dependents and also for the administration of welfare funds. It is assisted in its task by 33 Rajya Sainik Boards (RSBs) and 403 Zila Sainik Boards (ZSBs), which are under the administrative control of respective State Governments/Union Territory Administrations. The Government of India shares 75% of the expenditure incurred on the maintenance of RSBs/ZSBs in respect of the States/UTs of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh and 60% for other States/UTs while the remaining expenditure is borne by respective State Governments.
The office of Directorate General of Resettlement implements various Policies / Schemes / Programmes for pre and post retirement training, re-employment and self-employment of ex-servicemen. The DGR is assisted in its task by 5 Directorate Resettlement Zones (DRZs) co-located with the Army Command Headquarters at Udhampur, Chandimandir, Lucknow, Kolkata and Pune.
Central Organisation, Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme takes care of the healthcare and medical needs of Ex-servicemen and their dependents through a network of 427 polyclinics across the country.
Head of organization
Head of organization of this department is Secretary.
Vision
The resettlement, health care and welfare of the men and women, who served in the Indian Armed Forces after they leave active duty and to demonstrate that the nation cares for the Armed Forces in their retirement, constitute an important national mission. The Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence has been working to develop a more effective framework to set up and sustain wide ranging support systems for ESM and their families and to demonstrate that Ex Servicemen (ESM) are a positive force for nation building.
Mission
The mission of the Department is to effectively play the role of an institutional anchor which coordinates with various Ministries, Departments and Agencies within Government as well as partners with the private sector to formulate policies relating to training/skilling and re-employment of ESM. The Department also handles pensionary awards for ex-servicemen to make available benefits of pension schemes in a timely and efficient manner besides setting up a national network of welfare and health centres, for providing the highest level of services to ex-servicemen.
Aim
The aim is to strive for a more efficient and dependable system of redressing issues at the individual and collective levels, which also demonstrates a sense of empathy and sensitivity. And to provide these services without any discrimination and to give all ex-servicemen and women their rightful place of respect and dignity.
Objectives
1. Delivery of Health Care.
2. Resettlement and rehabilitation of Ex-Servicemen.
3. Financial assistance under welfare schemes.
4. Strengthening of grievance redressal mechanism, including pension grievances.
5. Media campaign/awareness programmes for ESM Welfare.
6. Compilation of ESM database.
7. Implementation of One Rank One Pension
Functions of the Department
The following functions have been laid down for Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare in Allocation of Business Rules:
• Matters relating to Ex-servicemen including non-pensioners.
• Ex-servicemen contributory health scheme.
• Matters relating to Directorate general of Resettlement and Kendriya Sainik Board.
• Administration of:
i. The Pension Regulation for the Army, 1961 (Part I and II)
ii. The pension regulations for the Air force 1961 (Part I and II)
iii. The Navy (pension) regulations, 1964
iv. The Entitlement Rules to casualty Pensionary Awards to the Armed Forces Personnel, 1982.
Organization Chart
Organization Chart of this department is available in the About Us Section of this website Click here
Section 4(1)(b)(ii): Powers and duties of its officers and employees
The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW) functions through a structured administrative hierarchy. It has one main Wing headed by the Joint Secretary (ESW), which consists of Divisions, Branches, and Sections/Desks led respectively by Directors/Deputy Secretaries, Under Secretaries, and Section Officers/Desk Officers. The Sections are staffed by subordinate personnel such as Assistant Section Officers (ASOs), Upper Division Clerks (UDCs), and Multi Tasking Staff (MTS).
Main Items of Work
- Resettlement Division:
- Formulation of policy and planning for rehabilitation/resettlement of ex-service personnel
- Administration of Education Allowance for children of service officers/personnel
- Supervision of Directorate General of Resettlement, Kendriya Sainik Board, Rajya Sainik Boards, Zila Sainik Boards
- Oversight of Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS)
- Disbursement of assistance from Armed Forces Flag Day Fund and Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund (RMEWF)
- Management of public donations to Armed Forces Welfare Funds
- Pension Division:
- Policy matters and casework related to pensions of Ex-Servicemen
- Handling of second appeals for disability and special family pensions
- Pension-related matters of offices in Nepal
- Grievances and court cases relating to pensions
The roles and responsibilities of Secretary, Joint Secretary, Director/Deputy Secretary, Under Secretary, Section Officer/Desk Officer, Assistant/UDC, LDC, etc., are defined in the Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure.
Work Allocation
The detailed work allocation of Under Secretaries and DS/Directors is available in the RTI Section of the DESW website. Click here
Section 4(1)(b)(iii): Procedures followed in the decision making process including channels of supervision and accountability.
The papers, documents and files in the Department are handled at different levels of hierarchy in the Ministry as per the requirements of the Constitution of India, the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961, Security Instructions issued by the Ministry, the Manual of Office Procedure, Parliamentary Procedures, General Financial Rules, Delegation of Financial Rules, Fundamental Rules, Supplementary Rules and other Service Rules, Instructions/Guidelines issued by various Nodal Ministries (like the Cabinet Secretariat, Department of Personnel & Training, Ministry of Finance, etc.), and other Departmental instructions issued from time to time.
Cases are generally initiated at the Section/Desk level or Under Secretary level and processed through Deputy Secretary/Director/Joint Secretary up to the Secretary/Ministers as per the final level of disposal. The hierarchy ensures both supervision and accountability at each stage. Details on distribution of work among divisions, as outlined under Section 4(1)(b)(ii), also reflect the structure of responsibility and accountability in the decision-making process.
Section 4(1)(b)(iv): Norms for the discharge of functions
The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare follows the norms prescribed by the Government of India for discharging its functions. These include time-bound redressal of grievances, adherence to administrative procedures, and service delivery standards.
For detailed information on grievance redressal mechanisms, Click here.
Section 4(1)(b)(v): Rules, regulations, Instructions, manuals and records held by it or under its control or used by its employees for discharging its functions.
The Ministry follows various rules and regulations for the discharge of its functions. These include:
- Constitution of India
- Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961
- Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961
- Manual of Office Procedure
- General Financial Rules
- Delegation of Financial Powers Rules
- Fundamental and Supplementary Rules
- Central Civil Services Rules (Leave, Conduct, Classification, Pension, etc.)
- Instructions issued by Cabinet Secretariat, Ministry of Finance, DOPT, and Ministry of Defence
Section 4(1)(b)(vi): Statement of the categories of documents that are held by it or under its control.
Documents held by the department include both classified and unclassified records related to administrative, financial, and operational matters as per the Allocation of Business Rules, 1961.
Section 4(1)(b)(vii): Particulars of any arrangement that exists for consultation with or representation by the members of the public in relation to the formulation of its policy or implementation thereof.
The department generally does not directly engage the public in policy formulation. However, major policy drafts and proposals are placed on the official website for public and stakeholder feedback as required.
Section 4(1)(b)(viii): A statement of the boards, councils, committees and other bodies consisting of two or more persons constituted as its part or for the purpose of its advice, and as to whether meetings of those boards, councils, committees and other bodies are open to the public, or the minutes of such meetings are accessible for public.
The department has the following committees and boards:
- Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB): Responsible for the welfare of Ex-Servicemen and their dependents. Website: ksb.gov.in
- Judicial Committee on OROP: Headed by Justice L. Narasimha Reddy to address anomalies in One Rank One Pension implementation
- Standing Committee for Welfare of Ex-Servicemen: Includes officials and recognized Ex-Servicemen associations
- Steering Committee for Skill Development: Constituted under the Chairmanship of Raksha Mantri to review implementation of the MoU with the Ministry of Skill Development
Meetings are not open to the public, and access to minutes is subject to regulations.
Section 4(1)(b)(ix): Directory of officers and employees.
Please visit the "Who's Who" section on the DESW website: Click here
Section 4(1)(b)(x): Monthly remuneration received by officers and employees.
| S. No. | Post | Level | Pay Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Secretary | 17 | 225000 |
| 2. | Special Secretary | 16 | 205400-224400 |
| 3. | Additional Secretary | 15 | 182200-224100 |
| 4. | Joint Secretary | 14 | 144200-218200 |
| 5. | Director & equivalent | 13 | 118500-214100 |
| 6. | Deputy Secretary/Sr.PPS & equivalent | 12 | 78800-209200 |
| 7. | Under Secretary/ Sr.PPS & equivalent | 11 | 67700-208700 |
| 8. | Section Officer/PS & equivalent (NFS on completion of 4 years Service in the grade) | 10 | 56100-177500 |
| 9. | Section Officer/PS & equivalent | 8 | 47600-151100 |
| 10. | Assistant/PA and equivalent | 7 | 44900-142400 |
| 11. | UDC/Steno & equivalent | 4 | 25500-81100 |
| 12. | LDC/ Staff Car Driver & equivalent | 2 | 19900-63200 |
| 13. | MTS | 1 | 18000-56900 |
Section 4(1)(b)(xi): Budget allocated to each agency, indicating the particulars of all plans, proposed expenditure and reports on disbursement made.
Budget allocation to the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare and its attached offices is published regularly. For detailed information, please visit the Budget section of the DESW website: Click here
Section 4(1)(b)(xii): Manner of execution of subsidy programmes, including the amounts allocated and the details of beneficiaries of such programmes.
The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare does not operate any subsidy programme.
Section 4(1)(b)(xiii): Particulars of recipients of concessions, permits or authorization granted by it.
Not applicable.
Section 4(1)(b)(xiv): Details in respect of the information, available to or held by it, reduced in an electronic form.
All publicly available information is accessible via the official website of the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare.
Section 4(1)(b)(xv): The particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining Information, including the working hours of a library or reading room, if maintained for public use.
Citizens can access information through the official website of the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare. The department does not maintain a public library or reading room.
Section 4(1)(b)(xvi): The names, designations and other particulars of the Public Information Officers.
Details of the Public Information Officers are available on the RTI section of the DESW website: Click here Information Disclosed on Own Initiative
Click here to see the STQC certification of DESW Website
