Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana (SSSY) – Eligibility, Benefits & Application Process

The scheme was launched by the Indian government in 1972 to commemorate the role of freedom fighters in the Indian freedom struggle. The plan offers freedom fighters and their dependents pension assistance.

In 1980, the Indian government liberalized the scheme further. The scheme was again extended by the government up to FY 2025-26. In addition, the government also offered a Dearness Allowance (DA) (36% of monthly pension) since July 2022 as central freedom fighters pension dearness relief.

What is Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana (SSSY)?

SSSY is a scheme of monthly pensions. However, what makes this pension plan special is the fact that the beneficiaries of the plan are people who fought for India’s freedom. The scheme provides the freedom fighters and wards of freedom fighters with financial and social security and helps them to lead a decent life.

Timeline of the SSSY scheme  

• Introduced in 1972 as a central pension scheme during India’s 25th independence
• Renamed in 1980 as Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme and extended coverage to all freedom fighters
• In 2017, the government declared to continue the plan beyond the 12th Five Year Plan and again renamed it as “Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana (SSSY)”
• In 2021, the scheme was extended up to 2025-26

• In July 2022, a Dearness Allowance (DA) was added to the plan (32% to 36% of monthly pension)

Features of Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana

Here are some features of the Freedom Fighter pension scheme:

Features	Details
Initiated by	Indian Government – Ministry of Home Affairs
Who can be the beneficiaries	Freedom fighters who are alive Dependents of a freedom fighter who was a martyr: – Widow/ widower – Unmarried daughter (maximum 3 daughters) – Mother – Father
Pension Amount offered	– Freedom Fighter/Spouse receive INR 35,360 – INR 40,800 – Dependent unmarried daughters/Parents receive 50% of the pension amount received by the freedom fighter
Pension Duration	Offered for a lifetime in case of freedom fighters For eligible dependents: – Till re-marriage of widow/widower of freedom fighter – Till the marriage of the daughters – Till the parents (dependent) are alive
Tax Benefits	The beneficiary can avail of tax benefits as the freedom fighter pension amount is tax-free

Pension Amount under Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana

Below are the updated pension categories offered to the freedom fighters and the dependents of freedom fighters:

Freedom fighter category	Monthly pension amount	Dearness Allowance (DA) (36% of the Basic Amount per month from 01/07/2025)	Total Amount of pension per month with DA
Ex-Political Prisoners and Spouses from Cellular Jail or ‘Kala Pani’ in Andaman	INR 30,000	INR 10,800	INR 40,800
Freedom Fighters who fought outside British Indian Territory and their Spouses	INR 28,000	INR 10,080	INR 38,080
Other Freedom Fighters and Spouses (including those who were with INA)	INR 26,000	INR 9,360	INR 35,360
Up to 3 dependent unmarried daughters and parents of freedom fighters	50% of the basic pension amount provided to the freedom fighters   (Between INR 13,000 – INR 15,000)	50% of DA provided to the freedom fighters   (Between INR 4,680 – INR 5,400)	50% of the total pension provided to the freedom fighters (Between INR 17,680-INR 20,400)

 

*According to policy guidelines, the Central Samman Pension is not applicable for TDS

Eligibility Criteria of Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana

Here’s a list of documents required to check the eligibility under SSSY:

Pensioner category	Details	Documents Required
Dependent relatives of the Martyr	The wards of dependent relatives of the Martyr or the person who died while participating in the freedom struggle in India	Office records Old newspaper reports of that time
Imprisonment	In the case of women or people from SC/ST background, the minimum requirement is 3 months imprisonment during the freedom movement   For the rest of the people, the minimum requirement of imprisonment is 6 months	Records of detention or imprisonment from the particular jail authority where they were detained
Those who had gone underground during the freedom movement	– Applies to those who went underground for a minimum of 6 months.   – The person must have had an order of arrest/ detention issued in their name	– Official evidence that is documented at the time of freedom struggle – Non-availability of a Record Certificate (NARC) and Personal Knowledge Certificate (PKC) from a concerned authority
Property Damage	If the property of a person was damaged, or confiscated during the freedom movement due to their participation in India’s freedom struggle and they never got that back	Order of sale/confiscation of property
Permanently handicapped	If a person is disabled permanently because of injury by a bullet or lathi charge during the freedom struggle	Handicap certificate from DM of the place of residence and Medical Certificate issued by a professional doctor
Loss of government employment	If a person has lost their government job for participating in India’s freedom struggle and was not recalled for 2 years   If the person has not received any allowance during this period	Removal or dismissal order from employment
If received punishment (in the form of whipping)	If a person received 10 strokes of whipping/caning as punishment for their participation in the freedom movement	Records (official) from the concerned authority

 

Who are the Dependents Eligible for SSSY?

Below are the eligible dependents under the Freedom Fighters pension list:

• Widow/widower
• Unmarried daughters (up to 3)
• Mother
• Father

Facilities Offered to SSSY Pensioners

Here is a list of facilities offered to the pensioners of SSSY under the freedom fighter quota:

• Free railway passes for a lifetime for 3 people, including the freedom fighter, their spouse, and a companion
• The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) offers free medical facilities to the freedom fighters and their dependents in various government and PSU hospitals
• Free landline telephone connection without any installation charges and half rental paid
• 4% Reservation for allotment of Petrol Pumps/Gas Agencies
• Freedom Fighters’ Old Age home (fully furnished) in New Delhi for accommodation and food

How to Apply for SSSY?

Below is the process to apply for the SSSY:

• Go to the official website of the Ministry of Home Affairs and look for the Freedom Fighters section
• Get two forms of ‘Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana’ and fill it out along with all the relevant details
• One copy of the form should be sent to the Chief Secretary of your State Government/UT
• The second copy should be sent to the below address:

Deputy Secretary, Freedom Fighters Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, 1st Floor, NDCC-II Building, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi

• The application is scrutinized by the State Advisory Committee of the State Government/UT
• Once it is verified, the state government sends the union government an Entitlement to Pension Report for eligibility scrutiny
• As the application is verified and approved, the Home Ministry issues a formal sanction order

How SSSY is offered to freedom fighters?

Let us take a look at how the pension amount is issued to the concerned people by the government:

• The Ministry of Home Affairs sends an approval order along with the applicant’s required documents and their bank details
• A Pension Payment Order (PPO) is issued for the pensioner by the Pay and Accounts Division
• The pensioner with the PPO approaches the particular government bank to draw the pension amount

Benefits of Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana (SSSY)

Here are some benefits of the SSSY to the Indian freedom fighters:

• It allows the freedom fighters and their dependents a regular monthly income
• It allows some financial support to the dependents of the freedom fighters
• The scheme enables pensioners to live self-sufficient lives with honor and improved living standards
• The SSSY honors the contribution of freedom fighters for the sacrifices they made during the Indian struggle for freedom