Amicus key suggestions on disabled cadets similar to DMA’s 2022 proposal, no implementation yet

The Amicus in her report also made suggestions pertaining to rehabilitation, education, resettlement and insurance enhancement. While these suggestions are not explicitly covered in the 2022 proposal, they are an expansion of the core demands of the disabled officer cadets, which are a grant of a disability pension and ex-serviceman status.

For instance, the Amicus report suggested that full ECHS benefits be extended to such officer cadets, including their dependents, to bring them at par with all other ex-servicemen. It also suggested that the government should provide full rehabilitation support in the form of prosthetics, physiotherapy, mental health among others.

The 2022 proposal also suggested that ECHS facilities be extended to cadets boarded out due to attributable/aggravated disability.

Following a series of reports published in The Indian Express, the Defence Ministry in August this year sanctioned the grant of medical facilities under the ECHS to officer cadets who get medically discharged for suffering varying degrees of disabilities during military training as a special one-time dispensation. Before that, they were not eligible for ECHS benefits since they had not been granted the status of ex-servicemen.

On the matter of disability pension, the Amicus has suggested the implementation of the recommendations by a six-member expert committee headed by Lt-Gen (retd) Mukesh Sabharwal to remove the present anomaly in the grant of monthly ex gratia amount to the cadets by linking the service element in it to the entry-level pay of an officer trainee and not to the lowest basic salary of a central government employee.

The 2022 proposal had recommended converting the monthly ex gratia to Disability Pension by amending the Pension Regulations. Currently, cadets get only ex gratia, not disability pension, due to which they are not under the ESM framework.

The Amicus recommended that a cadet rehabilitation and resettlement cell be created, apart from the extension of various resettlement schemes to invalidated officer cadets. It also suggested the creation of a cadet-specific placement portal with the help of CSR initiatives in the private sector, for the rehabilitation of disabled cadets.

Currently, there is no cadet-specific resettlement mechanism. The 2022 proposal had mentioned the grant of ESM status to such cadets, which will automatically make them eligible for resettlement schemes.

The Amicus also suggested that a one-time financial package at the board-out stage be given to Officer Cadets boarded out on medical grounds and that instead of discharging such cadets, they can be absorbed in the Military Engineering Service, Defence Research Development Organisation, Defence Accounts, Border Road Organisation or in any other non-combat roles based on their periodic reassessment.

Ankur Chaturvedi, a corporate professional, who has been fighting for these cadets said the issue is not lack of clarity but lack of action. “Despite a comprehensive proposal in place since 2022, delays continue, denying injured officer cadets justice and a dignified future,” he told The Indian Express.

The Supreme Court in October had asked the Army, Navy and Air Force headquarters to look into suggestions for framing a scheme for rehabilitation of officer cadets discharged from military training institutions due to disabilities suffered during training — a matter in which it had taken suo motu cognisance of a series of reports in The Indian Express. The court had granted the services six weeks to complete the exercise.

The court, which heard the matter last on November 18, adjourned it to December 16 to hear the response of Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati to the proposals.