High blood pressure, fractures, pregnancy-related conditions and obesity are four of the “10 biggest disabilities” in the military that have led to officers being placed in a lower medical category (LMC), indicating a decrease in their temporary or permanent fitness for active duty, the Ministry of Defense said in a report submitted to Parliament on Wednesday.
Disabilities include, in descending order, “other” (infectious diseases, autoimmune and connective tissue disorders, menstrual disorders, gallstones and hernias), diabetes, strains, spinal diseases, cardiovascular diseases and thyroid diseases, the department told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which has closely studied Army disability pensions.
Post-disability medical reduction entitles the soldier to better retirement benefits. On average, for the same rank, a disability pension can be 20% to 50% more than a regular pension, plus income tax exemption.
The report said that the ten leading health conditions represent 71% of the total disabilities affecting the army officer cadre.
The report said that the committee estimates a detailed distribution that shows the percentage of officers affected by multiple disabilities and the main causes such as high blood pressure, fractures, pregnancy-related conditions, obesity and diabetes.
“190 female officers were in LMC due to pregnancy and its associated effects which constituted 13.66% of all LMC officers. This physiological condition will be upgraded in due course,” the report added, citing the ministry’s response.
The Political Action Committee submitted its report, which was taken in both chambers at a time when controversy is raging over the so-called withdrawal of the tax exemption on disability pensions. Several political parties have questioned a provision in the Finance Bill 2026 that seeks to provide tax benefits only to disabled soldiers off duty due to disabilities attributable to or aggravated by service, excluding those who served or retired with disabilities.
A breakdown of prevalence statistics in the report shows that high blood pressure, fractures, pregnancy, and obesity led to lower physical fitness levels by 2.66%, 1.78%, 1.68%, and 1.62% for military officers, respectively. These four cases constitute 19.04%, 12.67%, 11.9% and 11.54% of the total disabilities in the officer cadre. The army’s strength is about 45,000 officers.
The Disability Pensions Commission’s previous report – submitted in February 2024 – had “expressed concern about the relatively high proportion of officers retiring due to disability, noting in particular that lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes account for a significant share of these disabilities”.
“The committee also sought comprehensive data on the prevalence of these diseases among Indian Army personnel, as well as remedial measures taken to mitigate their spread. The committee also sought a root cause analysis to better understand and address the underlying factors,” the report said.
The Ministry of Defense’s response was included in the report.
“In its responses to the actions taken, the Ministry has provided data reflecting that the prevalence of hypertension and type 2 diabetes among officers and personnel of the Indian Army is much lower than what is observed in the general population, indicating the positive impact of health promotion activities and regular medical surveillance within the Armed Forces. The Ministry has also enumerated a wide range of proactive measures including health awareness days, information, education and communication (IEC) campaigns, lifestyle modification programmes, and clinical interventions across all the three services aimed at preventing and controlling lifestyle diseases.” The report said.
The government notified new rules for disability pensions in September 2023, months after the Comptroller and Auditor General asked the ministry to analyze the causes of disability among soldiers after finding that nearly 40% of retired officers and 18% of personnel below officer rank were receiving disability pensions.
The National Auditor examined disability pensions disbursed to discharged employees between 2015 and 2020. He also cited concerns about granting disability pensions due to lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
The report said: “The committee, while acknowledging the efforts made by the Ministry to enhance the disability compensation award process, recommends that active engagement with military personnel will go a long way in addressing their concerns about the new rules, and for this reason, sensitization and sensitization programs and interactive sessions can be conducted to dispel any doubts in the minds of military personnel, whether serving or retired.”
In February, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to restore full income tax exemption on disability pensions.
The move to impose a tax on pensions sparked discontent in military circles, with many veterans saying the discrimination was unjustified and created two categories of disabled soldiers.
It is certain that as per the CBDT Circular dated June 24, 2019, disability pension is exempt from income tax only in cases where the service member is excluded from service before completing regular service for medical reasons attributable to or aggravated by the conditions of service.
“This clarification is based on the Income Tax Acts of 1922 and 1961. However, this provision has been interpreted loosely to provide benefits even to non-separated employees who have completed their regular service but have retired from LMC. These employees are not covered by IT exemption as they are still in service,” a ministry official said earlier.
