The Supreme Court has asked the government whether military cadets who become unfit due to disabilities during training can be given ex-servicemen status. This would allow them to access job reservations in government and semi-government roles.
A Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan highlighted that most cadets are under 30 and need employment support. During court discussions, it was questioned whether these cadets could be considered ex-military personnel for reservation benefits.
Additional Solicitor General N. Venkataraman stated the government would provide a detailed response on this issue.
The court was addressing challenges faced by cadets who were discharged due to injuries or disabilities during training. In a previous case, the court had instructed the government to explore insurance options for such cadets and increase the lump sum payment for those disabled during training from ₹40,000.
A report on granting these cadets access to the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) was approved by the defense ministry but not yet implemented. The court also asked about schemes to help disabled cadets find desk jobs or other defense-related work after treatment.
The issue came to light after a media report highlighted the struggles of 500 officer cadets who were discharged since 1985 due to training-related disabilities, facing high medical costs and insufficient financial support.