Supreme Court Grants Six Weeks To Centre To Finalise Scheme For Rehabilitation Of Disabled Officer Cadets

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted six weeks to the Union Government to complete the process of considering recommendations for rehabilitating officer cadets who are discharged after suffering disabilities during military training.

A bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice R Mahadevan Court adjourned the suo motu matter to January 28, expecting sufficient progress by then on the consideration and approval of the recommendations of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Airforce.

“Learned ASG also submitted that the recommendations of the three services are positive and therefore the consideration by the two Ministries is required. Hence we adjourn this matter to 28 January. It is expected that by then sufficient progress made with regard to the consideration and approval of the recommendations made by the respondents”, the Court stated

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the court that the exercise with the three-service headquarters had been completed and the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force had given positive recommendations, following which a scheme would have to be formulated with the approval of the Ministry of Defence. Bhati further submitted that the Ministry of Defence, in consultation with the Ministry of Finance, would take a final view and place a proposal before the Court.

Seeking more time, Bhati requested six weeks to complete the exercise and said efforts would be made to expedite the process. Amicus Curiae Senior Advocate Rekha Palli expressed concern over delays, stating that similar recommendations had been made by sub-committees over the last ten years. She suggested that the Court could consider asking the Ministry to place its decision in a sealed cover, as the matter had remained pending for long.

In its order, the Court noted the ASG's submission that the recommendations of the three services were positive and that consideration by the two Ministries was required. The matter was accordingly adjourned to January 28, with an expectation that sufficient progress would be made by then.

Background

The suo motu proceedings arise from the difficulties faced by officer cadets who are boarded out due to injuries sustained during training. In October, the Supreme Court had directed the Union Government to consider suggestions made by Amicus Curiae Rekha Palli to recognise and rehabilitate such cadets, observing that they are discharged without any status or recognition and consequently lack appropriate facilities.

The Court had earlier noted the discrimination between soldier recruits and officer cadets who are discharged due to injury during training, pointing out that recruits receive monetary and other facilities that are not extended to cadets. It observed that there was a need to first recognise the status of such out-boarded cadets and then devise a scheme covering monetary and health facilities. The Bench had also taken note of the submission that the number of such cadets is small, with about 40 cadets being boarded out every year, and that the financial impact of extending benefits to them would be minimal.

During the earlier hearing, Palli had proposed measures relating to medical assistance, financial support, education, resettlement and insurance, including treating such cadets as ex-servicemen or creating a separate programme for them. The Court had accepted the Centre's submission that the issue could be examined by experts at the service headquarters, with recommendations to be considered jointly by the Ministries of Defence and Finance and placed before the Court.

Case no. – SMW(C) No. 6/2025

Case Title – In Re: Cadets Disabled In Military Training Struggle