Supreme Court takes up plight of cadets disabled in military training

The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the struggles of officer cadets disabled during military training and discharged on medical grounds, who are left to fight lifelong disabilities with meagre benefits.

A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan will hear the writ petition titled “Cadets disabled in military training struggle” on August 18. Sources said Justice Nagarathna’s bench took note of the reports and placed the matter before Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, who directed the same bench to hear the case.

Nearly 500 cadets have been medically discharged from premier military institutions such as the NDA since 1985 after sustaining severe injuries during training. At the NDA alone, 20 cadets were discharged between 2021 and July 2025, according to a report published by The Indian Express on August 11.

Currently, these cadets are denied ex-servicemen (ESM) status — a crucial entitlement that would grant them lifelong healthcare through the military’s contributory health scheme. Instead, they receive only an ex gratia allowance of up to ₹40,000 per month depending on the severity of disability, an amount families say falls short of covering even basic medical needs, which average ₹50,000 or more each month.

Though Defense Minister Rajnath Singh approved a proposal to enhance compensation, the file remains stuck in the system. Families of affected cadets told Express that the current support is wholly inadequate for sons who require round-the-clock care.

The reports drew strong responses from military veterans, with former Army Chief General M M Naravane (retd) and former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash (retd) urging the government to shoulder full responsibility for these cadets — from comprehensive healthcare and insurance coverage to robust safety standards during training.