Disability Pensions Granted to 40% of Retired Army Officers

The CAG has asked the defence ministry and the Army HQ to analyse the reasons behind such a high percentage of officers, especially medical officers, being granted disability pension on being discharged from service.

The report also highlights that a considerable number of disability pension cases are granted on the ground of lifestyle diseases such as primary hypertension and Type-2 diabetes, which accounts for 22 per cent and 13 per cent of the cases granted to officers and PBORs respectively. The CAG has recommended that the ministry maintains a complete database with all the relevant information to carry out an analysis of the main reasons for disability, including lifestyle diseases among defence forces. According to the audit watchdog, out of the total retirees between 2015-16 and 2019-20, 2,446 officers (53 invalidated out, 2,393 discharged on retirement) and 48,311 PBORs (18,412 of them invalidated out) were granted disability pension. Similarly, 345 out of 683 medical officers retired with disability pension. The CAG has asked the MoD whether it had carried out any study or root cause analysis regarding the higher percentage of officers and medical officers being granted the disability element and whether any measures had been taken to address the issues. As of January 2023, the response was awaited.

Serving in high-altitude areas, enduring counter-insurgency operations, and other deployments in remote areas away from family can cause soldiers to suffer injuries and significant stress. However, in 2019, the Army HQ acknowledged that the disability pension provision was being abused by some personnel. A few senior officers were even obtaining disability certificates just before retirement to receive higher pensions. On average, disability pensions are 20-50 per cent higher than regular pensions.

To prevent the abuse of the system by a few individuals, an analysis should be conducted, and corrective measures should be taken. A senior officer stated that most cases are legitimate and should not be penalised. The 7th Central Pay Commission had also questioned the rise in disability pension cases, particularly in higher ranks, after the previous pay panel had substantially increased payouts for them.

However, some veterans criticised the CAG report for raising the wrong questions. Officers usually retire in their mid-50s, while soldiers retire in their 30s. As a result, officers are more likely to suffer from severe medical issues and lifestyle diseases due to the high stress and challenging postings during their service.