INDIAN ARMED FORCES PLIGHT OF OFFICER CADETS BOARDED OUT.

1. Fallen Fighters - Still Resilient
The boarded out cadets are left to fend for
themselves. It should always be remembered
that, the medically boarded out officer cadets
with injury attributable to service, are the
group of persons who chose to serve the nation
at a very young age, suffered grave injuries on
duty and are then left unceremoniously to fend
for them. We wore the same uniform,
underwent the same training as any
commissioned officer, and its only unfair if not
injustice to have lost so many valuable years,
crucial ones for that matter and suffered
injuries at a young age and then left with
minimal ex gratia, and no hopes of eligible
resettlement.
By Sarath
“The safety, honour and welfare of your country comes first, always and every time.
The honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command comes next.
Your ease, comfort and safety come last, always and every time” - Field Marshal Chetwode
These words have been inscribed in oak panelling in the Chetwode Hall in the Indian Military Academy.
These words have been inscribed across all the military academies across the great republic we call our
mother. This is the ethics that's being imparted to the officer cadets, from day one.
There is a small group of young boys, who chose the military, not as a career choice, but as a passion.
These boys take this decision at a young age, in their teens, not because they don't have enough
opportunities in this vibrant world but because, they consider their calling to their country as the No.1
priority. Because the words inscribed above was inscribed in their brains. Because they live by quotes
like: “You have never lived until - You have almost died - And for those who chose to fight - Life has a
special flavour - The protected will never know.”
These boys who chose to protect. To taste the flavor, chose to live and chose to protect rather than be
protected. Welcome to the life at National Defence Academy or any other military academy for that
matter. The boys graduate into men, pass out as young officers of the armed forces, ready to serve and
die for the country. That's the rosy picture.
Now consider the antipode. What happens when a cadet if injured while on training. What happens if
the officer cadet is injured while on duty (pet named as “injury attributable to the service of the
country”). What happens to the young boy who chose to be the protector but becomes “the fallen”.
Nobody wants to ask the unpleasant question. Nobody wants to think beyond the rosy picture. But here
we are - THE FALLEN. Unheard, Unsung fallen brethren of the Indian Armed Forces!
Since I belong to this “unholy” brethren, I shall throw some light on what happens after the Officer
Cadet meets with an accident, say, falls from his horse or a cliff during military conditioning camps or
meets with complex fractures or broken spine, all injuries sustained on duty. Before they fell, they
believed in “The more we sweat in peace, the less we bleed in war”.

2. There was no songs, no medals; and they needed none. All they needed was that uniform with
stars/stripes on their shoulders, the chance to serve the country. It is interesting to note that, a civil
service trainee if injured on duty, he is not left out. He will be posted in a capacity where his skill can be
utilized. But an Armed Forces’ cadet, once injured are discharged on medical grounds. All they needed
was some care, some guidance. But reality was darker.
Officer Cadets, boarded out of Officer Training Academies get a raw deal. Not just because they are only
in receipt of meagre financial aid, (equivalent to minimum pension and much lesser than what even the
Personnel Below Officer Rank recruit gets), they don’t even have ECHS (the much celebrated and
effective medical protection plan for defence pensioner and family) facility. Not to mention, that even
though most of them would be educationally qualified, they are not absorbed by any government
(Central or State) organizations like NCC or Ministry of Defence, in Officer Grades despite these
organizations having enough resettlement options to absorb them.
In short, the boarded out cadets are left to fend for themselves. It should always be remembered that,
the medically boarded out officer cadets with injury attributable to service, are the group of persons
who chose to serve the nation at a very young age, suffered grave injuries on duty and are then left
unceremoniously to fend for them. We wore the same uniform, underwent the same training as any
commissioned officer, and its only unfair if not injustice to have lost so many valuable years, crucial
ones for that matter and suffered injuries at a young age and then left with minimal ex gratia, and no
hopes of eligible resettlement.
The officer cadets who are boarded out are those who joined the services, at a young age, to serve the
country responding to their calling to serve the nation, ignoring all the other lucrative career
opportunities. It is indeed unfortunate that they had suffered injuries in service of the nation but what
is more calamitous is how the nation ignores them, their needs.
The cadets so boarded out are not in receipt of disability pension. Instead they are paid “ex-gratia”
which is not considered pension for any purpose. They are left out in the open, with nothing in hand
except for a disability certificate showing the percentage of disability sustained. The NDA optees who
join the academy after 12th, when boarded out are not even given an option for lateral entry, which
means, they have to start afresh. No matter which term you were boarded out from, the 6th term (The
pre-pass out term) or 6 days into his academy life, they get the very same, unjust benefits.
Yes, once the matter of medically boarded out Cadets were heard in the halls of the defence ministry.
And they were provided priority 1 status in re employment in class C and D posts!
After clearing a highly competitive UPSC examination and SSB interview to determine Officer Like
Qualities and a period of strict, valuable military training in the academies, they get priority 1 status in
class C and D jobs!
What better way to show a prospective Soldier his place!
What the government provide apart from the priority 1 status is class C and D jobs, is CSD (Canteen
Services) benefits. These steps are welcome but the injustice has to stop.
Whatever the case may be, at least the natural justice must be served. There is no justice here. Not
given a chance to continue his graduation, not even taken under the umbrella of ECHS protection, not
given disability pension or Ex-servicemen status. May we ask why?
Is this not injustice, served in a golden plate? Were the disabilities sustained any less grave?
Did we bleed differently from our wounds?
Still call us back, give us our uniform and ask to guard this motherland, we would do so, proudly and at
our best. If not, please still make us feel that, we are still part of that uniformed family, that fallen

3. brothers at arms, are not forgotten. That's all we ask. It is indeed unfortunate that we had to write this
letter because we never wanted to sound a bit negative about the organization which we dreamt to be a
part of, an organisation we are still proud of.
But we had to take this up, because we still believe in the words of Capt. Manoj Kumar PVC/Gorkhas
“Some goals are so worthy, it’s glorious even to fail”
After all, we were trained by the Indian Armed Forces, we couldn’t give up without a fight.
Things to be done at priority:
 Disability pension (not meagre ex-gratia) respectable to the rank trained for
 ECHS medical cover for the medically boarded out cadet and family
 Option for lateral entry for completion of graduation to be arranged with university
 Option for shelter employment to boarded out cadets in defence/NCC/Sainik
Board/Central/State Govt/PSU in officer cadre subject to fulfilment of eligibility.
“When you go home,
Tell them about us –
For your tomorrow, we gave our today”
We don't have strings to pull. I write this letter to you representing all those voices unheard, who gave
ourselves in service the nation. We gave our youth, sustained injuries, bit away pains, and now all what
we expect is the nation to look into our welfare as well.
________________________________________________________________________________________
The author can be reached on Email: sarathmariner@gmail.com