Supreme Court to Address Plight of Medically Discharged Cadets

The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the hardships faced by cadets who were medically discharged from military institutes due to disabilities sustained during training programs.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan is set to hear the case on Monday. This attention comes after a media report highlighted concerns regarding these cadets, formerly part of India's top military institutions, including the National Defence Academy (NDA) and Indian Military Academy (IMA).

The report reveals that since 1985, around 500 officer cadets have been medically discharged due to varying disabilities incurred during training, now grappling with steep medical bills. These individuals are not eligible for the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) due to not having been formally commissioned as officers, unlike their soldier counterparts. While soldiers in such categories receive comprehensive support, affected cadets only receive an ex-gratia payment of up to Rs 40,000 per month, which is insufficient for basic needs.

(With inputs from agencies.)