New Delhi. 17 July 2020. It might not be the Year of the Disabled Soldier but it is never too late to acknowledge their sacrifices towards the nation . The Government of India has taken a decision to allow Invalid Pension to Armed Forces Personnel with less than 10 years of qualifying service. Invalid pension is granted to the Armed Forces Personnel who is invalided out of service on account of disability which is accepted as Neither Attributable to Nor aggravated (NANA) by Military Service. The proposal has been approved by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Benefit of this decision will be available to those Armed Forces Personnel who were in service on or after 04.01.2019.
Earlier, the minimum period of qualifying service actually rendered and required for invalid pension was 10 years or more. For less than 10 years qualifying service, invalid gratuity was admissible. By this decision, Armed Forces Personnel whose service is less than ten years and became/become invalided out of service on account of any bodily or mental infirmity which is Neither Attributable to Nor Aggravated (NANA) by Military service and which permanently incapacitated/incapacitates them from military service as well as civil re-employment, will be benefited and it will make them economically sound.
A claim for disability pension arises only if an individual is invalided out of service on account of disability which is accepted as attributable to or aggravated by his military service. Individuals placed in low medical category permanently and discharged as no alternative employment in their trade/category suitable to their low medical category could be provided or unwilling to accept the alternative employment or retained in alternative appointment and subsequently discharged before completion of their engagement shall be deemed to have been invalided out from service for the purpose of the Entitlement Rules.
For determining the pensionary benefits the circumstances to decide the attributability/aggravation have been categorised as A, B, C & D. Category A which is Death or disability due to natural causes neither attributable to nor aggravated by military service, such as constitutional diseases, chromic ailments, prolonged illness while not on duty.
Category B which is Death or disability due to causes which are accepted as attributable to/ aggravated by military service such as diseases contracted because of continued exposure to hostile work environment subject to extreme weather conditions or occupational hazards.
Category C which is Death or disability due to accidents while performing duty, such as, accidents while traveling on duty in Government/public /private vehicles or during air journey or mishap at sea, electrocution while on duty and accidents during participation in organized sports events/ adventures activities/expeditions/training.
Category D which is death or disability due to acts of violence/attack by extremists , anti social elements, whether on duty or even when not on duty, bomb blasts in public places or transport or disability occurring while employed in aid of civil power in dealing with natural calamity, death or disability arising as a result of unintentional killing by own troops during the course of duty in an operational area and electrocution/attacks by wild animals and snake bite/drowning during course of action in counter insurgency/war. Accidental death/injury sustained due to natural calamities such as flood, avalanches, landslides, cyclone, fire and lightening or drowning in river while performing operational duties/movement in action against enemy forces and armed hostilities in operational area to include deployment on international border of line of control are also under this category.
Category E which is death or disability arising as a result of poisoning of water by enemy agents while deployed in operational area in active hostilities: enemy action in international war, action during peace keeping mission abroad, border skirmishes, during laying/clearance of mines, accidental explosions of mines, war like situations, including cases which are attributable to / aggravated by extremist acts, exploding mines, etc while on way to operational area, battle inoculation training exercises, or demonstration with live ammunition, flying operation involved in rehearsing of war plans and implementation of OP instructions inclusive of international war, all combat and Tactical sorties in preparation of war, kidnapping by extremist while on operational duty, an act of violence/attack by extremists and antisocial elements etc. while on operational duty or while employed in aid of civil power in quelling agitation, riots or revolts by the demonstrators, operations specially notified by Government from time to time, death or disability arising as a result of poisioning of water by enemy agents while deployed in operational area in active hostilities.
Determination of Amount of Disability Pension is done where an Armed Forces Personnel is invalided out of service, which is accepted as attributable to or aggravated by military service, he shall be entitled to disability pension consisting of Service Element & Disability Element.
