Supreme Court Addresses Officer Cadet Disability Cases Linked to Military Training
The Supreme Court has initiated suo motu proceedings concerning reports highlighting the challenges faced by officer cadets who have sustained significant disabilities during military training and were later discharged on medical grounds without adequate support.
Also Read: Wounded Before War: The Untold Struggle of Cadets Left Without Support
A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan is set to review the writ petition named "Cadets disabled in military training struggle" on August 18.
According to sources, Justice Nagarathna presented the issue to Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, who subsequently assigned it to her bench for expedited hearing.
500 Cadets Medically Discharged Since 1985
Since 1985, nearly 500 cadets have been medically discharged from leading institutions such as the National Defence Academy (NDA) after incurring various disabilities during training. At the NDA alone, around 20 cadets were discharged between 2021 and July 2025.
These cadets currently receive an ex gratia of up to ₹40,000 per month, contingent on the level of disability, yet they are not classified as ex-servicemen (ESM). As a result, they are excluded from the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), which would otherwise grant them free access to treatment at military hospitals and associated facilities. Families contend that the financial aid provided falls short, with medical expenses frequently surpassing ₹50,000 monthly.
Call for Urgent Reforms
The reports further highlighted that although Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had sanctioned a proposal to augment the ex gratia, the approval process remains stalled.
In response to the situation, former Army Chief Gen M M Naravane (retd) and former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash (retd) have called on the government to shoulder the long-term care costs, offer comprehensive health insurance, and ensure reasonable compensation alongside enhanced safety measures during training.
16 comments
I am an ex gentleman cadet boarded out of army in 1991. I had a problem it was congenital which was found out when I had an injury during training and later on boarded out in spite of being physically fit I kept pleading the doctor that let me continue the training because I had completed 15 months of training and they we just 6 more months to go but I was not allowed to do so. Now after 35 years of my life I find that had I known this earlier that I was to be treated like doodh ki makkhi I would have never joint defence forces. By the way I had undergone training at both the premier academics namely Officer’s training academy Chennai and Indian military academy Dehradun.
RPS Rathaur
OTA Kohima 16
GC no 16876
IMA Dehradun
Keren Coy
GC No 24772
I am an ex gentleman cadet boarded out of army in 1991. I had a problem it was congenital which was found out when I had an injury during training and later on boarded out in spite of being physically fit I kept pleading the doctor that let me continue the training because I had completed 15 months of training and they we just 6 more months to go but I was not allowed to do so. Now after 35 years of my life I find that had I known this earlier that I was to be treated like doodh ki makkhi I would have never joint defence forces. By the way I had undergone training at both the premier academics namely Officer’s training academy Chennai and Indian military academy Dehradun.
RPS Rathaur
OTA Kohima 16
GC no 16876
IMA Dehradun
Keren Coy
GC No 24772
मुझे लगता है भारत में सैन्य सेवा के चयन के लिए संघर्ष से बडा कोई भ्रम नहीं है! Form भरने से लेकर चयन, असीम संभावनाओं से भरे युवाओं के लिए एक भयावह यन्त्रणा भरा है! युवा cedets के साथ ये असंवेदनशील रवैया निंदनीय और शोचनीय हैं! एक युवा की जान की कीमत नहीं समझते तो देश की सेना को कहाँ से होनहार सैनिक मिलेंगे? मेरी बेटी की बचपन से प्रबल इच्छा थी सेना मेजानेकी! सेना के लिए पहली बार form भरा तो उसके बाद दुबारा form भरा ही नहीं गया!उसने अथक प्रयास किये,गृह मंत्री से लेकर सैन्य भरती बोर्ड तक सबसे सम्पर्क के प्रयास किये पर किसी से तीन साल तक कोई जवाब नहीं आया! हेल्पलाइन के नम्बर form भरने की तिथि तक बिजी रहते है या मिलते नहीं! तिथिबीत जाने पर लाइने खुल जाती हैं! सबको गाली देने का मन करता है! किसी की आँखों के सपनों को अपनी लापरवाही से मिटाने वाले गुनाहगारों को तत्काल प्रभाव से नौकरी से बाहर निकालना चाहिए! ये अभिशाप हैं सेना के लिए! यदि मेरा ये सन्देश किसी सैन्य भरती बोर्ड तक पहुंचे तो अपने स्टॉफ और कर्मचारियों की सेवा क्षमता को आंके! और देखें कि वो कभी उलझन से भरे होनहार युवाओं को कोई जवाब क्यों नहीं देते!मेरी होनहार बेटी के सपनों को ध्वस्त करने वाले गुनाहगारों.को कभी माफ़ नहीं करूंगी!🙏😥
Yes they should be appropriately compensated.
Cadets becoming disabled is really tragic.
This is a serious issue which should be looked into. Cadets are hardly in their twenties.