Himachal Pradesh carries a proud legacy of military service deeply woven into its cultural identity. Home to India’s first Param Vir Chakra recipient, Major Somnath Sharma, the state has earned a total of 1,252 gallantry awards, including four Param Vir Chakras and ten Maha Vir Chakras. To honor this history, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s administration is expanding financial, educational, and employment welfare systems for the state’s 1,33,557 ex-servicemen, 40,004 military widows, and 991 war widows.
To support career transition for the nearly 3,000 personnel returning home each year, the state provides a 15 percent quota across Class-I through Class-IV government jobs, managed by a dedicated Special Employment Cell under the Sainik Welfare Department. Financial relief includes up to ₹30 lakh for gallantry award recipients, ₹50,000 for the marriage of a war widow’s daughter, and monthly pensions of ₹10,000 for non-pensioner World War II veterans (₹5,000 for their widows). Immediate support of ₹15,000 is also extended to families facing the sudden loss of a serving soldier through the State Flag Day Fund.
Healthcare, travel, and educational benefits form another major pillar of this welfare effort. Eligible disabled soldiers residing at rehabilitation centers in Mohali and Kirkee receive annual grants of ₹1 lakh, while gallantry recipients and eligible widows enjoy free travel on Himachal Road Transport Corporation buses. To secure the future of military families, the government provides monthly scholarships ranging from ₹500 to ₹1,000 for dependents pursuing higher and professional studies in fields like engineering, medicine, and agriculture.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
