The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the plight of officer cadets who sustained disabilities during training and were subsequently discharged, finding themselves without adequate support or recognition.
A bench comprising Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan initiated the case titled Cadets Disabled During Military Training Struggle, following a revealing report in The Indian Express. The investigation highlighted how hundreds of cadets, trained at institutions like the National Defence Academy and Indian Military Academy, were medically discharged before commissioning and denied ex-servicemen (ESM) status—excluding them from disability pensions and healthcare benefits under ECHS.
The Court has issued notices to key respondents, including the Union of India, the Ministries of Defence, Finance, and Social Justice, the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, and the Chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The vital issues flagged for consideration include enhancing monthly ex-gratia payouts (currently capped at Rs 40,000) to better meet soaring medical expenses along with introducing insurance coverage for cadets to cover injury or disability incurred during training.
It also talks about exploring avenues for rehabilitating affected cadets through alternative roles—such as desk positionor potential re-induction into the armed forces.Examining applicability of rights under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016
Expressing empathy for the cadets, the bench remarked that injuries sustained in training should not deter their service to the nation, urging adequate institutional mechanisms to safeguard their interests.
The matter is scheduled for further hearings on September 4, 2025, as the Court awaits detailed responses and proposals from the government.
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