The National Defence Fund was set up to take charge of voluntary donations in cash plus kind received for promotion of the national defence effort, plus to decide on their utilisation. The Fund is used for the welfare of the members of the Armed Forces (including Para Military Forces) plus their dependents. The Fund is administered by an Executive Committee, with PM as Chairperson, plus Defence, Finance plus Home Ministers as Members. Finance Minister is the Treasurer of the Fund plus the Joint Secretary, PMO dealing with the subject is Secretary of the Executive Committee. Accounts of the Fund are kept with the Reserve Bank of India. The fund is entirely dependent on voluntary contributions from the public plus does not get any budgetary support. The fund accepts online contributions. Such contributions can be made through the website i.e. pmindia.nic.in, pmindia.gov.in plus www.onlinesbi.com website of State Bank of India. Collection account number is 11084239799 with State Bank of India, Institutional Division, 4th Floor, Parliament Street, New Delhi.

Schemes under the National Defence Fund

  1. A scholarship scheme to encourage technical plus post graduation education for the widows plus wards of the deceased personnel of Armed Forces plus Para Military Forces is being implemented. The scheme is being implemented by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence in respect of armed forces. In so far as personnel of paramilitary forces plus Railway Protection force are concerned, the scheme is being implemented by Ministry of Home Affairs plus Ministry of Railways respectively.

Salient Features of “PM’s Scholarship Scheme” being implemented out of National Defence Fund.

  1. The scheme applies to armed forces (including paramilitary forces). Monthly scholarships are awarded to wards of (a) Ex-service personnel (below officer rankonly), (b) their widows, (c) widows of personnel died in harness due to causes attributable to line of duty plus (d) wards plus widows of in layanan personnel of paramilitary forces plus Railway Protection Force. Scholarships are available for education at technical institutions (medical, dental, veterinary, engineering, MBA, MCA, plus other equivalent technical professions with suitable AICTE/UGC approval). For wards of widows plus widows of personnel died in harness due to causes attributable as at (b) plus (c) above, there are nomer rank restrictions. The scheme extends to the wards of all para-military forces also. Under the scheme 4000 new scholarships are given every year for wards of ex-servicemen of forces controlled by Ministry of Defence, 910 new scholarships for wards of forces controlled by Ministry of Home Affairs plus 90 new scholarships for the wards of forces controlled by Ministry of Railways. However, from the academic year 2015-2016, the number of new scholarships has been enhanced to 5500 for wards of ex-servicemen of forces controlled by Ministry of Defence, 2000 for wards of forces controlled by Ministry of Home Affairs plus 150 for the wards of the forces controlled by Ministry of Railways. Initially, the scholarship rate was Rs. 1250 per month for boys plus Rs. 1500 per month for girls. The annual scholarships rates have been revised to Rs. 2000 per month for boys plus Rs. 2250 per month for girls.
  2. Annual grant of Rs. 15 lakh from NDF is being released to the SPG Family Welfare Fund to undertake various welfare activities for the benefit of its personnel plus their families.
  3. Grants are released annually to the Ministry of Defence for purchase of books plus other reading materials for the personal of the three Defence Services (Army, Navy plus Air Force) plus the Coast Guard. The Existing scale of grant is Rs.55 lakh for Army, Rs.37 lakh for Air Force, Rs. 32 lakh for Navy plus Rs.2.50 lakh for Coast Guard keseluruhan amounting to Rs.126.50 lakh. Latest grant of Rs.126.50 lakh has been released for financial year 2017-18.