Medical Pension of Army Personnel – Entitlement Rules for Casualty Pensionary Awards to the Armed Forces Personnel 2023

Information regarding Medical Pension of Army Personnel has been sought by Shri Hanuman Beniwal in Lok Sabha and Government of India has cited the Entitlement Rules for Casualty Pensionary Awards to the Armed Forces Personnel 2023 in in its Reply

Medical Pension of Army Personnel

The Queries below are raised in the Parliament.

(a) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government regarding medical pension of army personnel declared unfit for service on grounds of psychiatric and physical disability by the Army Medical Board;

(b) whether the Government has taken any steps to ensure that there is transparency and fairness in physical and psychiatric disability test conducted by Medical Board in the Indian Army;

(c) if so, the details thereof along with the policy of the Government in this regard;

(d) the number of cases of Indian Army personnel who have been declared unfit for service on grounds of psychiatric and physical disability and have not been provided pensionary benefit so far; and

(e) the proposal of the Government regarding providing pension to such soldiers?

In Response to the above queries the the following information is provided by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence Shri Sanjay Seth.

(a): The Government has issued the Entitlement Rules for Casualty Pensionary Awards to the Armed Forces Personnel – 2023 and Guide Medical Officers – 2023 to harmonise the Defence Disability Pension Regulations with the regulations for civilian employees issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on time to time and also to ensure that Medical Boards are conducted in an optimal and uniform manner. The Government is providing the following pension of army personnel declared unfit for service on grounds of psychiatric and physical disability by the Army Medical Board: Invalid pension/invalid gratuity, Disability pension, War Injury Pension and Terminal Gratuity to Officer Invalided Out of Service.

(b) & (c): The Medical Board comprises of three members in accordance with extant rule of the Armed Forces i.e. RMSAF-2010 for unbiased disposal. Further, all reports of Psychiatric Boards are perused by DGMS (Army) for Officers & MG(Med) for Junior Commissioned Officers/Other Ranks so as ensure an error free & transparent disposal.

(d) & (e): Army Personnel who are declared unfit for service by Army Medical Board on grounds of disability are paid disability pension as per the Pension Regulations for Army (PRA) 2008 and Entitlement Rule (ER) 2023 and other extant rules.

View the Lok Sabha Q & A pdf