The Supreme Court of India has questioned the central government over the absence of insurance, compensation, and rehabilitation facilities for cadets who become disabled during military training.
The bench, comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan, took suo motu cognisance of the issue after a media report highlighted the plight of such cadets.
Supreme Court Seeks Government’s Response
The bench asked the Centre whether it could introduce an insurance scheme specifically for disabled cadets. The Court suggested that the government consider providing:
- Financial assistance for those rendered disabled,
- Medical treatment costs, and
- Suitable positions in the Army once their condition improves
The Court proposed bringing all cadets under group insurance in the future and scheduled the next hearing for September 4.
At present, disabled cadets receive a compassionate grant of ₹40,000. The Court observed that this amount was far too low to meet medical needs.
The Court asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to examine the possibility of increasing this amount to ensure adequate treatment for injured cadets.
Media Report Triggered Action
The case was registered on August 12, following a media report that revealed shocking numbers:
- Since 1985, around 500 cadets from premier institutions like the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Indian Military Academy (IMA) have been declared medically unfit during training and discharged.
- Nearly 20 cadets at NDA alone were discharged between July 2020 and July 2025.
The report stated that authorities deny disabled cadets the status of ex-servicemen. This prevents them from accessing benefits such as the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).
These cadets sustained disabilities during training, before their commissioning as officers, which left them without institutional support.
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