The last week of December 2025 and the beginning of January 2026 have brought several important updates that directly affect Indian Armed Forces veterans, serving personnel, widows, and their families. These updates cover advanced medical treatment in Army hospitals, clear pension and gratuity rules, a new employment opportunity for ex-servicemen and dependents, and a serious criminal case involving misuse of a deceased Army officer’s identity.
This article explains all these developments in simple English, so that every veteran, widow, and family member can understand what has happened and how it affects them.
Army Hospital (R&R) achieves a big medical milestone
For the first time in India, Army doctors successfully performed 3D Flex Aqueous Angiography with iStent surgery for the treatment of glaucoma.
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease that slowly damages eyesight, usually shows no early warning signs, and can cause permanent blindness if not treated on time. Many serving soldiers, veterans, and elderly dependents suffer from glaucoma, especially with increasing age.
What is special about this treatment?
Doctors used a new advanced imaging system along with a 3D operating microscope. This allowed real-time viewing of eye fluid flow and helped surgeons perform accurate, minimally invasive surgery, leading to better results.
Why this matters to veterans
This achievement shows that Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) are providing world-class healthcare. Veterans and their families can now access advanced eye treatment within military hospitals, reducing the need for expensive private treatment and improving long-term vision care.
Big relief for widows: No commutation deduction from family pension
One of the most important pension-related clarifications concerns commutation of pension after the death of a pensioner.
An Office Memorandum dated 25 October 2022, issued by the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare, has again become relevant because many widows are still facing problems.
What is pension commutation?
A pensioner can take up to 40% of pension as a lump sum. The pension amount is reduced for 15 years, after which full pension is restored.
The clear government rule
If a pensioner dies before completing 15 years from the date of commutation:
- No deduction should be made from family pension
- Family pension must be paid in full
What this means in simple words
The government cannot recover commuted pension from the widow. Banks and pension offices must not deduct any amount. If deductions are made, they are illegal and should be challenged.
Widows and family pensioners should keep this rule in mind and raise objections if any wrongful deduction is noticed.
For more details on AFD CSD after registration and log in click here.
Important clarification on gratuity for re-employed Ex-servicemen
Another major update came through an Office Memorandum dated 26 December 2025, which clarified confusion regarding gratuity for Ex-Servicemen who join government jobs after retirement.
The problem earlier
Many veterans who retired from the Armed Forces, received military gratuity, and later joined Central Government departments, PSUs, or autonomous bodies under NPS, were wrongly told that their civil gratuity would be reduced or denied.
What the government clarified
The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare clearly stated that:
- Military gratuity will not affect civil gratuity
- Ex-servicemen are entitled to separate gratuity for civil service
- No recovery or limitation can be imposed due to earlier military gratuity
Why this is important
This clarification benefits Short Service Commission officers, JCOs, and ORs who take up government jobs after retirement and protects them from wrong interpretation of rules.
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Serious warning: Dead Army Major shown alive to grab property
A shocking news report published this week revealed a serious fraud case involving a deceased Army Major.
What happened?
An Army Major who died 15 years ago was falsely shown as alive using fake documents. Based on these documents, his house was illegally occupied. Police later arrested the accused after intervention at the highest level.
Why this matters to veterans
This case highlights how properties of deceased soldiers can be misused and how widows and legal heirs can suffer if records are not properly updated.
What veterans and families should do
- Complete property mutation without delay
- Regularly verify land and housing records
- Keep service and death documents safe
- Report any suspicious activity immediately
This incident is a strong reminder for veterans and families to remain alert.
Employment opportunity for ex-servicemen and dependents in Uttar Pradesh
Another important update relates to employment opportunities for ex-servicemen and their families.
The Uttar Pradesh Poorv Sainik Kalyan Nigam Limited (UPPSKNL) has issued a recruitment notice to support veterans and dependents.
Who can apply?
Ex-servicemen, veer naris, war widows, widows of ex-servicemen, dependent women, disabled sons and daughters, and dependent sons and daughters of ex-servicemen are eligible.
Post details
- Post name: Lekha Lipik (Accounts Clerk)
- Total vacancies: 11
Place of posting
Agra, Bareilly, Delhi, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Prayagraj, and Mathura.
Important date
- Last date to apply: 20 January 2026
Why this is important
This recruitment provides a chance for stable employment to veterans and their families and helps widows and dependents become financially independent.
Conclusion
The last week of December 2025 brought important and meaningful updates for the Indian veteran community. A major medical breakthrough, clear pension protection for widows, gratuity clarity for re-employed veterans, a serious warning about property fraud, and a fresh employment opportunity together show why veterans must stay informed.
For veterans and their families, information is protection.
Service may end, but awareness must continue for life
thanksforinformtion
Sir may I request you pls find some solution to get Balance in our Canteen smart card.Because now a days v are getting two months entitled quota.And Balance is written on the bill. But some time v forget this and when go to Canteen one is told that limit is over.
Kindly find some solution
Further criteria for the post of Lekha lipik like age for ESM and dependent qualification etc
Very useful.
Excellent welfare info is being disseminated by the ESMCorner,which a Veterannout of stream would not never come to know.
The biggest relief is non deductible of commutation from the Family pension after the death of a pensioner.
May be an effort to exempt Family pension from I Tax.
The ESM Advocate has still not clarified,continous pmt of pension,if the pensioner migrates to a foreign country where his children are settled.Pension is because of past service in India and not of citizen status after retirement.
Similarly any legal restriction of payment of Family pension to a wife,who is a holder of the OCI Card for life ,but holder of a foreign passport.