Armed Forces Flag Day (AFFD) is annually observed across India on 7 December to honour the martyrs, men, and women in the armed forces who bravely fought and continue to fight on the borders to safeguard the country’s honour.
- Flag Day emphasise the dedication to looking after the war-disabled soldiers, Veer Naris, and the families of Martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for the country.
Background:
i.A committee was set up on 28 August 1949 under the then Defence Minister Baldev Singh. The committee recommended observing Flag Day annually on December 7.
ii.The 1st Armed Forces Flag Day was observed on 7 December 1949.
Key Points:
i.The idea behind AFFD was to collect funds from people by distributing flags and contributing to the AFFD Fund (AFFDF).
ii.Token Flags and Car Stickers in red, deep blue and light blue, representing the 3 Services: Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, are received from the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) and distributed to the public.
Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB):
i.KSB, an apex body of the Indian Government, operates welfare and rehabilitation schemes for Ex-Servicemen (ESM) of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, and their dependents.
- KSB manages funds through Rajya Sainik Boards (RSBs) and Zila Sainik Boards (ZSBs) co-located in the State Capitals and District HQs respectively across the nation.
ii.These welfare schemes are funded by KSB from contributions made by esteemed donors to the AFFDF.
Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF):
i.AFFDF was instituted in 1993 and is administratively controlled by KSB.
ii.It was instituted by amalgamating the following funds into one fund named as “Armed Forces Flag Day Fund”.
- Amalgamated Special Fund for war bereaved, war disabled and other ESM/serving personnel
- Armed Forces Flag Day Fund
- St.Dunstan’s (India) and Kendriya Sainik Board Fund
- Indian Gorkha Ex-Servicemen’s Welfare Fund.
iii.AFFDF has been established to assist Veterans, Widows and their dependents as well as the institutions/organizations created for the rehabilitation of disabled soldiers.
Note: Contributions towards AFFDF are exempted from Income Tax under Section 80 G (5) (vi) of the Income Tax Act 1961.
Enhancement of ESM Welfare Scheme:
In August 2023, for the welfare of the ESM and the policy of Ease of Living, the amount under the following Welfare Schemes of ESM has been enhanced.
- Vocational Training Grant from Rs 20000 to Rs 50000 for widows of ESM up to Hav/equivalent.
- Medical Grant from Rs 30000 to Rs 50000 for non-pensioner ESM/widows up to Hav/equivalent.
- Grant for Serious Diseases from Rs 1.25 lakhs to Rs 1.50 lakhs for non-pensioner ESM/widows of all ranks.
Note: The assistance is provided out of the AFFDF.
About Indian Army:
Chief of the Army Staff– General Manoj Pande
Motto– ‘Seva Paramo Dharma’
