Supreme Court Seeks Centre’s Response on Including Disabled Cadets in ECH Scheme

Quick Summary

• The Supreme Court of India took suo motu cognisance of a media report highlighting the plight of Armed Forces cadets who suffer disabilities during military training.
• A Bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and K.V. Viswanathan asked the Union government to file a comprehensive reply on weather there is any scheme providing insurance cover, ex gratia amounts, or rehabilitation support for these cadets.
• The court suggested considering inclusion under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).
• Since 1985,approximately 500 officer cadets have been medically discharged from India’s top military institutes like the National Defense Academy (NDA) and Indian Military Academy (IMA) due to injuries sustained during training.
• Former cadets reportedly struggle with escalating medical bills despite receiving an ex-gratia monthly payment of ₹40,000, which is insufficient to meet their healthcare needs.
• These individuals are not designated as ex-servicemen as they incurred disabilities prior to being commissioned as officers, disqualifying them from ECHS benefits.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The Supreme court’s intervention underscores two crucial concerns-the welfare of Armed Forces trainees and broader systemic gaps in post-injury care for those injured during commissioning-stage training programs in elite academies like NDA and IMA. Although ₹40,000 per month provides basic financial support for disabled cadets discharged before becoming officers, it falls short against medical costs that can be both recurring and monumental over a lifetime.

Inclusion under schemes like ECHS could perhaps offer critical relief by enabling access to subsidized treatments at empanelled hospitals across India while enhancing long-term rehabilitation prospects for affected individuals. However, establishing uniform guidelines or extending “ex-serviceman” status raises technical challenges needing thorough policy review since these individuals are not formally commissed officers but active participants in rigorous military preparatory regimens tied directly with institutional casualties’ through disability criteria forcing Gov tests clarifications& inducements

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