Centre extends ECHS facility for cadets disabled during military training, SC informed

The Centre has decided to extend medical facilities under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) to cadets ‘medically discharged’ from the military due to disabilities suffered during training, the Supreme Court was informed on Thursday.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati told a Bench led by Justice BV Nagarathna that starting August 29 all such cadets have been included in the ECHS scheme for which even the one-time subscription fee of Rs 1,20,000 has been waived off for them.

The Bench – which also included Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra—directed the Centre to complete the registration preferably by September 15 and posted the matter for October 7.

“We appreciate the positive response from the respondents in so far as extending the medical facility for treatment in the form of ECHS scheme to the invalidated and out-boarded cadets. The details of the said scheme may be placed on record,” it said.

The Bench – which had on August 12 taken suo motu cognisance of a media report highlighting the plight of cadets medically discharged from military institutes due to disabilities suffered during training—appointed senior advocate Rekha Palli as amicus curiae to assist it in the matter.

On August 18, while issuing notice to the Centre, the top court had it to explore the possibility of putting in place a scheme for rehabilitation of these disabled cadets back into the forces in desk jobs or any other work related to defence services, after their treatment got over. “We want brave-heart cadets to be in the forces. We don’t want injuries or disability to be any kind of deterrent to these cadets, who undergo training after clearing various competitive examinations,” it had said.

Bhati said in case of death, an amount of Rs 12.5 lakh was paid as a one-time ex gratia money and Rs 9,000 per month to kin. However, the Bench called for enhancement of the ex gratia amount in view of rising inflation.

“From 1992 onwards Air force, Army and Navy have their own insurance which is like a subscription based insurance. So cadets are included in those. There is the army group insurance fund. Monthly insurance premium is paid by service personnel,” she said.

The Bench said the insurance scheme currently in place may not be adequate and efforts should be made to enhance the insurance cover for out-boarded cadets.

It said there should be a reassessment of out-boarded cadets for the purpose of resettlement and asked the Centre to formulate a scheme for medical reassessment.

“These are educated people and they have cleared the entrance exam. They are capable of doing some or the other kind of job. Not as an ex-serviceman but if some sort of desk job can be given as far as possible,” it said.

Unlike disabled soldiers, who were entitled to ex-servicemen (ESM) status, all that these officer cadets get now is an ex-gratia payment of up to Rs 40,000 per month depending on the extent of disability, which falls far short of their basic needs.

A media report – which the top court took cognizance of—highlighted the disability suffered by cadets, who were once part of training at the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Indian Military Academy (IMA).

According to the report, there were around 500 officer cadets medically discharged from military training institutes such as NDA, IMA since 1985 after the incurred varying degrees of disability during training.

The report flagged their ex-gratia monthly payment was awfully insufficient to meet the medical expenses. At the NDA alone, there are around 20 such cadets, who were medically discharged in just five years, between 2021 and July 2025, the report stated. It sought to highlight the plight of these cadets because as per rules, they are not entitled to ESM status, which would have made them eligible under the ECHS for free treatment at military facilities and empanelled hospitals, since their disabilities took place during training before they were commissioned as officers.