New Delhi, April 3
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to examine whether cadets who are forced to leave military training academies after suffering disabilities should be brought under the ex-servicemen category, a step that could make them eligible for reservation in government and semi-government jobs.
A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan said many such cadets are still young and would require opportunities for employment after being medically discharged.
During the hearing, the court raised the question of whether cadets who are “boarded out” during training on medical grounds could be treated on par with ex-servicemen or former military personnel for the limited purpose of job-related reservation benefits.
The bench asked Additional Solicitor General N Venkataraman, appearing for the Union government, to obtain instructions on whether the existing definition could be expanded to cover such cases. The Centre told the court it would place a detailed response on record.
The matter is being heard in a suo motu case initiated by the court over the hardships faced by cadets who suffer injuries or disabilities during military training and are subsequently discharged.
In earlier proceedings, the court had underlined that young recruits should not be left vulnerable after sustaining serious injuries in the course of training. It had observed that the armed forces should encourage determined cadets, and that the risk of disability should not leave them without institutional support.
The bench had previously asked the Centre and defence authorities to consider extending insurance protection, including a group insurance model, to cadets undergoing intensive training at military institutions so that families are not left exposed in cases of death or permanent disability.
The court had also flagged the current one-time assistance of ₹40,000 for cadets disabled during training, asking the government to consider whether the amount should be revised in view of medical and rehabilitation costs.
During the hearing, the court was told that a proposal to extend benefits under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) to such cadets had already received approval within the Defence Ministry, but had yet to be implemented.
The bench also asked the Centre to look into whether disabled cadets could be absorbed into desk-based or other suitable roles connected to defence services once they complete treatment.
The case was taken up by the Supreme Court on its own motion last year after a media report highlighted the plight of cadets from premier military institutions, including the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, who were discharged after suffering disabilities during training.
Material placed before the court indicated that about 500 officer cadets have been medically released from military training institutions since 1985 because of disabilities sustained during training, with many facing high medical expenses and limited financial support.
