The Defence Ministry has answered pertinent queries in the Lok Sabha with regard to the medical pension of Army personnel declared unfit for service on grounds of psychiatric and physical disability by the Army Medical Board.
Parliamentarian Hanuman Beniwal raised queries in the Lok Sabha asking from the Defence Ministry about the steps taken/proposed to be taken by regarding medical pension of army personnel declared unfit for service on the disability ground.
The lawmaker also enquired about steps taken to ensure fairness and transparency in disability assessments.
In response to the said queries, Minister of State in the Defence Ministry Sanjay Seth stated, “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.”
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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, the minister said.
Ensuring fairness and transparency in disability assessments
In response to the question about ensuring fairness and transparency in disability assessments, the minister explained that the Medical Board includes three members as per the Armed Forces’ RMSAF-2010 rules to ensure unbiased evaluations. Additionally, all reports from Psychiatric Boards are reviewed by DGMS (Army) for officers and MG (Med) for Junior Commissioned Officers and Other Ranks to ensure they are error-free and transparent.
Disability pension for unfit army personnel
Other queries were about 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 proposals regarding pension provisions for such soldiers.
In reply, the minister said that 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.
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