New Delhi, April 3: The Supreme Court has asked the Central government whether military cadets who are “boarded out” due to disabilities sustained during training can be given ex‑servicemen status, so they can avail reservation in government and semi‑government jobs.
A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan observed that a majority of such cadets are below 30 and would need sustainable employment.
“During the course of submissions, one of the aspects that was discussed was as to whether the boarded‑out cadets could also be considered as ex‑servicemen or ex‑military personnel for the purpose of having the benefit of reservation for such persons in various governmental and semi‑government jobs and posts,” the bench said, and directed Additional Solicitor General N Venkataraman to seek instructions on the issue.
The court is hearing a suo motu case concerning officer cadets who are medically discharged from premier institutes such as the National Defence Academy (NDA) and Indian Military Academy (IMA) due to injuries or disabilities during training.
Reports indicate that around 500 cadets have been discharged since 1985, with many facing high medical bills and inadequate ex‑gratia support.
Last year, the apex court had already directed the Centre to consider providing insurance covers for such cadets and to enhance the existing lump‑sum compensation of ₹40,000 for those disabled during training.
The bench has also asked the government to explore a rehabilitation scheme—such as desk jobs or other defence‑related work—for disabled cadets after their treatment, and to ensure that an approved Ex‑Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) cover for them is implemented.
