An injury or illness during military training is a life altering event. While most people associate military disability with veterans who have served in the military for years. But a different and often most precarious struggle exist for those who suffered debilitating injury before they are formally commissioned. These cadets, who have dedicated years of there lives to rigorous physical and academic preparation, find themselves in a unique and difficult position. They are often stuck in a bureaucratic and legal limbo that lives them without the institutional and financial support afforded to their veteran counter-parts.
No Legal Status: A key struggle for these cadets is their lack of legal status as a “Service Member.” In some countries they are not considered veterans or active-duty personnel. This distinction can be devastating, as it often means that they are ineligible for many of the benefits that would otherwise provide a crucial safety.
Psychological Impact: The psychological impact is profound. A cadet’s career is not just a job; it is a vocation. Losing that future due to an injury can led to several mental health issues, as they not only lose their physical capabilities but also their identity and a future, they had worked so hard to achieve.
Financial and Medical Struggles: These cadetsface a lack of opportunities for rehabilitation and future employment as they are not considered ex-servicemen, they are ineligible of the schemes designed to help disable veterans reintegrate into civilian life or to find alternative roles within the defence service. Ex-servicemen are covered under ECHS Scheme (Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme) but medically di
scharged cadets are not eligible for free treatment at military hospital. While some may receive ex-gratia payment which is often a fraction of what they need to cover mounting medical bills leading to financial distress.
Social Challenges: They face the social stigma and personal disappointment of not being able to complete their training, despite the sacrifices they have made.
Lack of Rehabilitation and Alternative Employment: These cadets are left to fend for themselves with no systematic plan to help them transition into civilian life or to utilise their skills and training in different capacities.
Status in Different Countries: In United States ROTC (Reserved Officers’ Training Corps) enrolled cadets are eligible for compensation through the department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Labour. However, they are only entitled to certain benefits and medical coverage for their training related injuries.
In United Kingdom the exact status of a pre-commissioned cadet is important, the UK’s Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) is designed to compensate for injuries, illness or death caused by military service.
In Canada there is a robust system of providing benefits for its service members which extent to cadets who are injured during their training. Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) may provide medical reimbursement for expenses not covered by provincial health care such as ambulance fees, physiotherapy, etc.
Supreme Court Takes Suo-moto Notice: The issue of inadequate care for disable cadets has recently gained global attention. Justice B. V. Nagarthna of the Supreme Court of India took Suo-motu notice of a news report in the Indian Express titled “Mounting Medical Bills, nowhere to go: Braveheart Cadets Disabled in military training struggle in shadows” by Amrita Nayak Dutta on 12th August, 2025.
The court’s intervention came after the report highlighted that around 500 officer cadets had been medically discharged since 1985 due to varying degrees of disability incurred during training. The Article pointed out that these individuals are not entitled to the status of Ex-Servicemen (ESM) which would grant them access to free medical care under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS). Instead, they received a monthly ex-gratia payment of up to Rs. 40,000/- an amount that families say falls far short of there actual medical expenses which are much higher.
Justice Nagarthna along with Justice R. Mahadevan initiated Suo-moto case and sought responses from Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Armed Forces. The Bench questioned whether the government could implement scheme for these former cadets, such as a group medical insurance plan or one-time ex-gratia payment.
The Court also inquired about the possibility of reassessing these individuals for rehabilitation into desk jobs or other roles within the Armed forces after their treatment. The court emphasised that this was an act of Social Justice and that cases should not be treated in an adversary manner.
Conclusion: By seeking a comprehensive response from the government and Armed Forces, the court has opened the door to potential services that go beyond the current insufficient ex-gratia payments. The courts suggestions show a commitment to finding a lasting and humane solution. This move not only offers a ray of light to the affected cadets and their families but also sends a clear message that the nation has a moral and legal obligation to care for those who are left vulnerable after making sacrifice for the country. The case will now be a crucial test of whether the government can work collaboratively with the Judiciary to create a more compassionate and equitable system for these “Braveheart Cadets.”
Advocate Mamta Singh Shukla
Supreme Court of India
Mob. No. – 9560044035
