New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday emphasized the need for a formal scheme of facilities and amenities to ensure the proper rehabilitation—both medically and otherwise—of military cadets who were medically discharged (“out-boarded”) from military institutes due to disabilities suffered during their training.
A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan made these observations while hearing a suo motu case concerning the plight of these cadets.
SC Seeks Scheme for Rehabilitation
The Court’s focus was on creating a comprehensive support system for the approximately 699 out-boarded officer cadets.
Senior advocate Rekha Palli, appointed as amicus curiae, submitted written suggestions to the court outlining the areas requiring assistance, which included:
- Medical assistance and insurance coverage.
- Financial support.
- Educational and resettlement options.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, assured the bench that these suggestions would be considered by experts at the service headquarters before recommendations are sent to the Ministry of Defence and subsequently to the ministries of Defence and Finance for joint consideration.
The bench directed the ASG to communicate the written submissions to the concerned authorities to “carry out the aforesaid exercise at the earliest and in the most befitting manner.”
The court explicitly stated its expectation:
“Hence, it is expected that a scheme of facilities and amenities would be provided to these out-boarded officer cadets so that they could be rehabilitated, both medically as well as otherwise, in their future life.”
Cadets Not Eligible for Ex-Servicemen Status
A key point of discussion was the official status of these cadets. The bench clarified that because these cadets were not formally commissioned into the defence forces, they cannot be treated on par with ex-servicemen.
“See, they have not been formally inducted into the defence forces. They are in between. If they are not yet commissioned, they can’t be treated as ex-servicemen,” the bench observed. However, it stressed that a specific program or scheme should still be formulated for their benefit.
Earlier Relief and Pending Issues
The Supreme Court has previously secured some relief for the cadets:
- Medical Facilities: The Centre assured the court on September 4 that medical facilities under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) would be provided to all such cadets, with the one-time subscription fee being waived. All out-boarded cadets were included in the ECHS scheme starting August 29.
- Monetary Benefit: The court has noted the current ex-gratia amount—which can be up to ₹40,000 per month depending on the disability—is inadequate. It called for the enhancement of this monetary benefit, specifically citing the current rate of inflation and price rise.
- Insurance: The existing insurance cover was also deemed inadequate, with the court suggesting efforts be made to enhance it.
The amicus curiae also brought up an earlier expert committee report, set up by the Ministry of Defence, concerning the review of service and pension matters, including minimizing litigation. She highlighted that the status of action taken on that report remains unknown.
The bench underscored that the authorities must first recognize the “status and position of out-boarded cadets”—who would have been commissioned officers but for the injuries sustained—before formulating the scheme. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on November 18.