Resettlement and Employment of Ex-Servicemen: 11,555 Appointed in Government Jobs in Last Five Years

The Ministry of Defence has outlined the measures taken for resettlement, rehabilitation and employment of ex-servicemen (ESM), stating that 11,555 ex-servicemen have been appointed in Government jobs over the last five years.

The details were provided by Minister of State for Defence Shri Sanjay Seth in a written reply to an unstarred question (No. 2593) in the Rajya Sabha.

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Resettlement Schemes for Ex-Servicemen

The Government informed that the Directorate General Resettlement (DGR) implements multiple schemes aimed at facilitating employment and self-employment of ex-servicemen from all three Services.

Key schemes include:

• DGR-sponsored security agency scheme
• Technical services scheme (recently introduced)
• Coal loading and transportation schemes
• Tipper attachment schemes for JCOs/OR, widows and disabled soldiers
• LPG/petrol/diesel distributorship under 8% reservation quota
• Management of company-operated retail outlets (COCO)
• Management of CNG stations (IGL/MNGL)
• Allotment of Mother Dairy milk booths and Safal outlets
• Inclusion in Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (launched in June 2023)
• Resettlement training and skill development programmes

The training programmes are fully funded for JCOs/OR, while officers receive 60% fee support.

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Scheme-wise Engagement and Placement Trends

The Government provided year-wise data on ESM engagement under various schemes:

• Security Agency Scheme:
  • ESM sponsored increased from 34,338 (2021) to 48,691 (2024), before declining to 43,143 (2025)
• COCO Scheme (Retail Outlets):
  • Increased steadily from 20 (2021) to 432 (2025)
• CNG Station Management:
  • Numbers fluctuated from 39 (2021) to 20 (2025)
• ESM Placement by DGR:
  • Declined from 25,528 (2021) to 2,616 (2025)
• Technical Services Provision:
  • Increased from 211 (2021) to 450 (2025)
• PMBJP Eligibility Certificates:
  • Introduced later, rising from 2 (2023) to 14 (2025)
• Mother Dairy/Safal Booth Allotments:
  • Show varied numbers across years (e.g., 536 in 2021, 648 in 2025 for milk booths)

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Funds Allocated and Utilised

The Ministry also shared funding details for resettlement schemes:

Financial Year	Funds Allocated (₹ Cr)	Funds Utilised (₹ Cr)
2021–22	6.80	6.77
2022–23	29.48	18.05
2023–24	27.19	27.02
2024–25	33.80	33.77
2025–26*	60.80	56.07

*Utilisation as on 28.02.2026

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Reservation for Ex-Servicemen in Government Jobs

The Government reiterated the existing reservation provisions:

• 10% vacancies up to Assistant Commandant level in Central Para Military Forces
• 10% in Group ‘C’ and 20% in Group ‘D’ posts in Central Government Ministries/Departments
• 14.5% in Group ‘C’ and 24.5% in Group ‘D’ posts in CPSUs and Public Sector Banks
  • Includes 4.5% for disabled ESM and dependents of personnel killed in action
• 100% reservation in Defence Security Corps

Additionally, CPSUs, corporate houses and private sector undertakings are mandated to hire security guards through DGR-sponsored ex-servicemen agencies.

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Steps to Address Backlog

To address any backlog in employment of ex-servicemen, the Directorate General Resettlement:

• Conducts periodic meetings with Liaison Officers of Ministries/Departments
• Collects, compiles and analyses data on ESM representation across departments

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