NEW DELHI,: The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre’s and defence forces’ response in a suo motu case concerning cadets medically discharged from military academies after sustaining disabilities during training.
A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan asked the Centre to examine the possibility of providing insurance cover to cadets undergoing rigorous training, to safeguard them against death or disability.
The court also directed Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, to seek instructions on revising the existing ex-gratia amount of ₹40,000 for disabled cadets to better meet medical expenses.
Further, the bench urged the Centre to explore rehabilitation measures, including reassigning such cadets to desk or other defence-related roles after treatment.
“We want braveheart cadets to be in the forces. Disability should not become a deterrent,” the judges observed, posting the matter for further hearing on September 4.
The suo motu proceedings were initiated on August 12 following a media report highlighting the plight of these cadets, once enrolled in premier institutions like the National Defence Academy (NDA) and Indian Military Academy (IMA).
According to the report, about 500 officer cadets have been discharged since 1985 due to training-related disabilities. Many now struggle with mounting medical bills, as they receive only ex-gratia support, without the benefits of ex-servicemen (ESM) status.
At NDA alone, around 20 cadets were medically discharged between 2021 and July 2025. Unlike soldiers, who qualify for ESM status and the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), officer cadets discharged during training are excluded. Their only relief is a monthly ex-gratia payment of up to ₹40,000, often inadequate to cover basic needs.
