The Ministry of Defence has approved the extension of the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) to officer cadets who are discharged from military training academies on medical grounds, where the medical condition is attributable to or aggravated by their military training. This decision, made public on Friday, August 29, 2025, aims to provide much-needed relief to cadets who sustain injuries or develop medical conditions during training, cutting short their aspirations to serve in the armed forces.

This move follows a recent appeal by the Supreme Court, which urged the government to enhance medical support for officer cadets discharged with disabilities, emphasizing that these aspirants should not be abandoned after committing to join the armed forces. The ECHS extension is expected to benefit hundreds of cadets, offering them access to free treatment at various service facilities, government hospitals, polyclinics, and empanelled private hospitals.

Under this scheme, the discharged officer cadets will be entitled to avail free Outpatient Department (OPD) services at ECHS polyclinics, as well as cashless OPD or Inpatient Department (IPD) investigations at ECHS-empanelled hospitals. A significant benefit is the exemption from the one-time subscription fee of ₹1.2 lakh, which is typically mandatory for retired officers joining the ECHS. The scheme is available only to the concerned individuals, conditional to them not being members of any other government health scheme, and accepting ECHS rules.

The decision addresses the financial strain experienced by these cadets and their families, who often face substantial medical expenses post-discharge. While approximately 10 to 20 cadets are medically boarded out each year, the financial and emotional burden on their families can be significant. Before this, the relief was limited to an ex-gratia payment of up to ₹40,000 per month based on the severity of the disability, which was often insufficient to cover medical and living costs. In addition to the ex-gratia payment, a monthly disability award is made available based on the extent of the disability.

The Ministry of Defence has clarified that this extension of ECHS benefits is a "special dispensation" and should not be treated as a precedent for other categories. The implementation of this scheme will be managed by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare.

Ankur Chaturvedi, a former cadet who was medically boarded out of the National Defence Academy in 1996, has welcomed the decision, calling it a "big relief" for affected cadets. While this initiative has been lauded, some argue for further inclusivity, particularly for financially weaker cadets and families of deceased cadets.