Justifying Justice for 500 Medically Disabled Cadets: MVI Interview of Col (Dr)IVS Gahlot, former Director, ECHS Scheme & CO MH Khadakwasla (NDA)

"If you ask me one word answer and solution  for all problems of these Officer Cadets, It will be giving them- ' Probationary Officer Cadet Status'  - by only one order of MoD, Govt. of India. This word ' Probationary' will give them serving status while under training in Military Academies, and award of 'President’s Commissioned  Officer' status   on the successful completion of their  military training."

-Col (Dr) IVS Gahlot

Editor's Note:

The recent hearings of the SC 'suo motu’ case of 500 disabled medically invalidated cadets  gives   much hope for long awaited  justice to these cadets . With a view to better understanding of the issues confronting the Supreme Court ,MVI interviewed Col ( Dr) IVS Galhot.

The Answers received   to our Questions gives much insight and understanding of several less known technicalities of the subject and intricately linked issues. These are published below with  a  view to enhance awareness of all concerned  agencies of the Govt, especially the policy  and decision makers including  the armed forces themselves!

Link of earlier relevant MVI Interview of Col IVS Gahlot of 21 April 2021 republished on 19 Aug 2025 :- https://www.missionvictoryindia.in/post/need-for-expert-medical-guidance-for-military-selection-training-says-col-ivs-gahlot-former-c

Editor, MVI

Answers To  15 MVI Questions

1. Maximum ECHS Relief

Maximum ECHS relief   be provided to affected cadets- past, present and future.

GoI has already issued directions to make medically invalidated Ex Officer Cadets member of ECHS scheme without paying contribution of Rs 1,20,000 (One Lakh twenty thousand). vide their letter No. 18(5)/2024-D(WE) GoI MoD D/o Ex-Servicemen Welfare D(WE)/Res-1. Dated 29th Aug 2025.

It is requested that Medically invalidated out Officer Cadets be given the full ECHS benefits as is being given to officers whenever they are medically invalidated out from service as most of the such Ex-Officer Cadets are from humble background and their parents also suffer the physical & mental trauma of their young boy/girl's shattered life (some time 100%

dependence), career and rehabilitation.

2. Rehabilitation of Affected Cadets, Education, Jobs & Future

These Medically Invalidated Out Ex-officer cadets are left 'high and dry' to fend for themselves for rehabilitation. The Directorate General Resettlement (DGR) and Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) looks after retired military officers as regards rehabilitation is concerned.

Rehabilitation is through:

career transition through resettlement training,

placement assistance, and

self-employment opportunities like allotment of Gas agency, Petrol Pump etc.

For example:

training programs to acquire new skills,

sponsorship for roles in government and corporate sectors, and

support for self-employment ventures like running CNG stations or oil outlets.

Financial assistance, housing, and other welfare benefits are also provided to support their transition into civilian life.

3. Ex-Servicemen/ ESM Status To

Ex- Medically Invalidated Out Officers Cadets.

These Medically Invalidated Out Ex-officer cadets be given Ex-servicemen status which is feasible only when they are considered in service and given the status of Probationer Officer Cadets while undergoing military training in Military Academies. Military Instructions Viz.

Army, Air Force and Navy Instructions may be issued for the purpose.

These Officer Cadets are also brought fully under Army Act not only for disciplinary action.

These officer cadets are paid same stipend of Rs 56,100/- per month as is being paid to probationary officers of civil Training Academies.

4.Disability Pension.

Once Trainee Officer Cadets are given status of Probationary officer Cadets, they will

automatically become Ex-servicemen and be entitled to disability pension as is being given to serving officers when disability is 20% and more.

Few officer cadets are medically invalidated out with less than 20% disability (Recently one cadet was medically invalidated out with only 5% disability from NDA, Pune.

He will neither get any benefit from armed Forces nor will he get any benefit under Rights of PWD Act, 2016. Special rehabilitation policy be made for such unfortunate Ex- Officer

cadets).

5. Status of Trainee (Recruit & Cadet)

It is very unfortunate that Recruits and Officer Cadets are treated differently in Armed Forces though both categories are being given military training to fight war in their respective Training Centres /Academies

Recruits are given Rahadari (Movement orders) by Recruitment Offices and their service starts even before they even reach  training centre, while on the other hand, the Officer Cadets are treated as civilian even during their military training ranging from 9 months to 4 years. These officer Cadets come under Army Act  but  only  for  disciplinary actions including when medically invalidated out of military Academies.

Hence, these Officer Cadets be given Rahadari (Movement Orders) by Service Selection

Boards (SSB) Centres to remove such discrimination and they be considered on duty as is being done for recruits.

6. Army Act Applicability to Recruit& Officer Cadets.

Recruits are fully under Army Act on reporting to Training Centres while the Officer Cadets are under Army Act only for disciplinary actions including when medically invalidated out of military Academies.

7. Causes for Higher Rates of Wastage / Morbidity of Cadets Vis a Vis Recruits: -

Longer duration training of officers is upto 4yrs whereas for Recruit it is maximum for   1year.  NO mandatory / objective physical tests are held for cadets like for recruits.

Higher rates of wastage / morbidity among officer Cadets viz.a.viz recruits has been seen. The contributory factors could be: -

a. Physical Fitness- Recruits are being tested for physical fitness tests like 1.6 Km run, pull ups and other tests, while the officer cadets are not tested for any objective mandatory tests.

b. Recruits are from rural background while most of the officer cadets are from urban

background.

c. The officer cadets are being tested on intellectual ground, trainability, officer like qualities (OLQs) etc.

d. Recruits training is for 9 months to one year while the officer cadets are trained from 9 months (OTA Chennai) to 4 years (NDA).

e. Only official training calendar is being followed in Recruit Training Centres.

f. As regards the Officer Cadet's training is concerned the training may be divided into:

A. Official training & Unofficial training,

B. Structured Training & Unstructured training.

Hence, The Officer Cadets training may be classified into: -

Official Structured training-------------------------As per training calendar,)

Unofficial Unstructured training---- ----------------Punishments by trainers,

Unofficial Structured training----------Punishments by senior cadets,

Unofficial Unstructured training-------Ragging & reverse Ragging by

cadets.

Hence, it can be seen that the Officer cadets suffer more morbidity, injuries as compared to recruits.

8. Officer Selection System of SSB

Officer selection system of   SSB is psychology based and subjective with 9months / upto 4 yrs training

period. Trainability and Potentiality are two main factors for selection with favorable training

environment.

It is true that SSB selection is Psychological Assessment Based, the long training period of

up to four years for NDA, OTA (Gaya) etc. provide an environment which is based on

colonial mindset that is not conducive for overall development of officer cadets leading to more injuries and development of sadistic personality.

9. Wastage Rate of Relegation, Withdrawals, Resignations of Cadets Especially in NDA

wastage rates of relegation, withdrawals, resignations of cadets especially in NDA is

many times, more than rate of medically boarded out cadets. Causes for them are same -

environmental factors.

Causes for high wastage rate of relegation, withdrawals and resignations of cadets especially

in NDA is many times more than rate of medically boarded out cadets. Few examples are; -

a. Poor physical fitness of the officer cadets.

b. Sudden exposure to harsh official training calendar.

c.  Sudden exposure to strenuous physical activities like practice for Cross Country

run.

e. Official individual punishments,

d. Exposure to official mass punishments,

e. Ragging (Unofficial Unstructured training) by senior cadets and

f. Reverse Ragging (Unofficial Unstructured training) of 6th term cadets by junior cadets a day or two prior to their passing out from academy (NDA) in the name of “Social Evening “leading to severe suffering/

permanent disability and even death.

10. Ragging

Ragging needs to be removed/ rooted out completely! Full accountability

with responsibility should be fixed and be there for every serious/ grievous injury of any cadet.

All Unofficial and Unstructured trainings ie. Ragging/ Reverse ragging be totally removed

from Military Training Academies as they reflect colonial mindset of training officers with total subservient attitude. Accountability be fixed for every serious/ grievous injury or death of any cadet.

11. Army Act

The applicability of Army Act and actual implications on life of Officer Cadet during training

must be reviewed.

Once the Officer Cadets are given status of “Probationer Officer Cadet”, they will

automatically come under Army Act. This will give them:

Serving (on duty) status during training,

Ex-servicemen status on medically boarding out,

Full ECHS cover instead of 1/3 ECHS cover for Officer Cadet only.

Disability status & disability pension,

Rehabilitation support as is being given to Ex-servicemen.

In addition, reservation in jobs as per their merit in UPSC without going for any other

service selection board of any state / Centre for graduate Officer Cadets. Undergraduate Ex Officer Cadets may be given reservation for higher education in universities/ Institutions to complete their degrees from the stage they are medically invalidated out and their UPSC merit be preserved

for further employment in civil life.

12.Overrall Factors

Overall factors leading to high rates of wastage for cadets must be addressed to produce

better quality officers.

13.DIPR SSB Selection System

DIPR linked/ based SSB selection system of officers must be reviewed to reduce this high

wastage rate of cadets.

14.Broad Comparison (Recruit &Officer Cadet)

A broad comparison of selection, training, grooming, wastage rates including morbidity

rates, disability cases must be done for officer cadets and recruits and a similar yardstick applied

to reduce wastage rates and improve quality of soldiers and officers.

15. Status of Probationary Officer Cadet & Commissioned Military Officer

If you ask me one word answer and solution for all problems of these Officer Cadets, It will be giving them “Probationary Officer Cadet Status” by only one order of MoD, Govt. of India. This word “Probationary” will give them serving status while under training in Military Academies, and award  of 'President’s Commissioned  Officer' status   on the successful completion of their military training.