Health cover for medically boarded out cadets

The defence ministry on Friday said officer cadets boarded out of military training academies on medical grounds will be eligible to apply for a popular health scheme for ex-servicemen that will allow them to undergo free treatment at a raft of service facilities, government hospitals, polyclinics and empanelled private hospitals, benefitting hundreds of such cadets whose dreams to serve the armed forces were cut short by injuries sustained during training.

- Rahul Singh

“Reaffirming its commitment to the dignity and well-being of the armed forces, the government has approved the extension of Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) to officer cadets who are invalidated from training on medical grounds attributable to or aggravated by military training,” the defence ministry said, announcing the long-awaited welfare measure.

The approval came days after the Supreme Court urged the government to promptly put in place an insurance scheme and enhance medical support for officer cadets who are discharged from military training academies after suffering disabilities, warning that aspirants “cannot be left high and dry” or “disheartened” after attempting to join the armed forces.

Such cadets have been exempted from paying the mandatory subscription fee to avail the ECHS benefits.

The onetime subscription fee of ₹1.2 lakh, which retired officers must pay to join ECHS, will not be charged from the officer cadets, the defence ministry said in a statement.