Directorate General Resettlement (DGR)
- The Directorate General Resettlement (DGR) is an Inter Service organization functioning directly under the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (Ministry of Defence). In order to maintain a youthful profile of the Armed Forces, approximately 60,000 service personnel are retired/released every year at comparatively young age. Majority of the service personnel at the time of retirement are at an age where they have numerous unfinished domestic responsibilities, which necessitate their taking up second occupation. DGR assists Ex-Servicemen to train and acquire additional skills with a strong emphasis on evolving requirement of corporate and industry and facilitate their resettlement through a second career.
- Armed Forces personnel, having acquired certain competencies during their service career, need to re-orient their skills and attitude for second career post-retirement/release. It is the endeavour of DGR to provide opportunities to service personnel and ESM for this reorientation to facilitate a seamless transition to a second career. DGR is committed towards generating opportunities and nurturing dreams for re-employment/entrepreneurship with the aim to meet the aspiration of ESM community.
- DGR Employment Seminars DGR has MoU with CII and FICCI for organizing Employment Seminars /Job Fairs all over India in collaboration with the three Services for placement of ESM into corporate. These Employment Seminars/ Job Fairs provide walk-in opportunities at no cost to ESM to find a suitable job.
- History: The details of various milestones are appended below:-
- Sep 1919: British government sets up the Indian Soldiers board to advise on matters affecting the interest of serving, discharged and deceased Indian soldiers predecessor to DSSA&B.
- Mar 1951: Post Jammu and Kashmir operations of 1947 - 48 the board were renamed as Indian soldiers, sailors and airmen board. Small cell was established at Adjutant General's branch at Army headquarters to address resettlement issues of disabled soldiers and war widows.
- Jan 1968: Directorate General Resettlement was established with assigned role of welfare and rehabilitation of Ex-Servicemen, widows and dependents.
- May 1975: The board re-designated as Kendriya Sainik Board as an inter service organisation under the Ministry of Defence.
- Apr 1982: The secretariat of Kendriya Sainik Board placed under direct administrative control of Directorate General Resettlement, along with supervisory role on the work of secretary Kendriya Sainik Board and the secretariat.
- Jan 1991: Operating under the Directorate General Resettlement, Directorate Resettlement Zones created in each Command Headquarters of the army, to interact with states and active formations, as also be advisors to GOC - In - C on ESM matters.
- Sep 2004: A Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare created in Ministry of Defence to give focused attention to welfare programmes for ESM and their dependents.
- Jan 2009: Directorate General Resettlement, Kendriya Sainik Board and Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme became attached offices of Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence
- Charter of Duties : The major charter of duties are as under:-
- Organise resettlement training in Government/ Semi Government/ Private Institutes for retiring/ retired service personnel.
- Implement Policies/ Schemes of the department for Employment/ Self-employment as second career.
- Liaise with concerned agencies on all matters of resettlement and welfare of Ex-Servicemen. Facilitate serving Officers, soldiers, sailors and airmen as well as ESM and their dependant to derive full benefits from concessions and facilities granted by Central and State Governments..
- Interact with corporate/private sector and institution the FICCI and CII to seek greater employment opportunities.
- To create awareness about vast disciplined and trained human resources available in ESM.
- Create awareness in ESM on job market trends and expectations of the industry so as to enhance their skill sets.
- Disseminate useful information in respect of welfare and resettlement matters to ESM / Widows / Serving Personnel through print and electronic media and website.
- Enable ESM to benefit from various development activities and ensure that they get necessary assistance/ redressal of grievances.
- Monitor actual implementation of various Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Welfare Schemes by various agencies including reservation policy of Central/State Govt.
- To forward panel of names of ESM for employment opportunities to Government of India Departments, Organizations, Corporate and Private Sectoras well as DGR sponsored employment schemes.
- To advertise and promote the interest of ESM and objectives of the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare.
- Act as the interface between retired service personnel, dependents and outside environment for resettlement/ second career.
- Organize job seminars on PAN India basis in collaboration with CII/FICCI and the three services.
- Training Directorate: DGR is entrusted with the responsibility of preparing retiring service personnel, ex-servicemen and widows / wards of deceased personnel to enhance their qualifications and enable them to seek second career. Training for their resettlement in civil life is one of the major functions of DGR. The training programs are conducted through Government, semi-Govt. and private institutions of repute at various places in the country. Resettlement training programme covers a wide range of subjects with a clear emphasis on the skill sets required in view of the evolving the Annual Training Programme is posted on the DGR web site for ready reference The training programmes are organized under three categories:-
- Officers’ Training: For serving officers in the last two years of service and for retired/released officers’ within three years from release or up to 60 years, whichever is earlier. The training is organized under MOU with the premium training institutes like IIM,MDI,IIFT, etc. The serving officers, undergoing resettlement training, are treated on duty up to a maximum period of six months but they are not paid any traveling, daily allowance and are not entitled to travel on railway warrant. The officers pay 40% of the course fee and 60% fee is paid by Govt.
- JCOs/OR Training: For serving JCOs/OR and their equivalent in IN/IAF in the last two years of service. During training they are considered as on temporary duty and are entitled to draw their pay and allowances. 100% course fee is paid by the Govt.
- Employment Directorate: DGR is the nodal agency for registering of serving Armed Forces Class I Gazetted Officers and ESM (Officers)s for employment opportunities. The serving commissioned officers can register themselves online on DGR website for availing subsequent benefits of DGR schemes. Registration of JCOs/OR for re-employment is done at nearest Zila Sainik Boards. The Employment Directorate interacts with the corporate sector and Institution like FICCI and CII to create more employment avenues for ex-servicemen. All ex-servicemen registered with Joint Director Employment are sponsored against requests received from the civil sector and various Government offices.
- Self Employment Directorate: Self-Employment Directorate is responsible for employment and functioning of ESM Coal Loading and Transportation Companies, Tipper Attachment for widows and disabled ESM, issue of Eligibility Certificate for Allotment of Oil Product Agencies, sponsorship for COCO Scheme and CNG in NCR, sponsorship for Allotment of Mother Dairy Outlets / Safal Outlets for Retd JCO’s/OR and their equivalent in IN/IAF.
