Supreme Court Seeks Ex-Servicemen Status for Injured Military Cadets

The Supreme Court has requested the Centre to consider offering ex-servicemen status to military cadets injured and deemed unfit due to disabilities sustained during training, a move that could enable these individuals to benefit from reservation in government and semi-government jobs. Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan suggested the majority of these cadets, aged below 30, need employment opportunities.

Additional Solicitor General N Venkataraman, representing the Union of India, assured the court of a comprehensive response. The top court is addressing a suo motu case focusing on the challenges face by cadets medically discharged from military institutes due to training injuries. The bench emphasized the need for protective measures like insurance covers for these brave cadets.

In its deliberations, the court also queried the government for advancing policies such as granting group insurance and reassessing the current Rs 40,000 lump sum for medical needs. The defence ministry has cleared, but not yet implemented, a file for their inclusion under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme. Rehabilitation into desk roles post-treatment is another explored solution.