NEW DELHI — In a landmark judgment, the Delhi High Court ruled on Thursday, February 26, 2026, that armed forces personnel cannot be denied disability pension solely because an illness is labelled a “lifestyle disorder” or developed during a peace station posting. The court asserted that military service is inherently stressful regardless of the location, and such conditions often contribute significantly to serious health issues.
A Division Bench comprising Justice V. Kameswar Rao and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora delivered this ruling while overturning an Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) order. The previous order had rejected the disability pension claim of a retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officer suffering from primary hypertension and coronary artery disease. The High Court stressed that the primary criterion for pension eligibility is whether the disease has a clear connection to service conditions, not whether it manifested in a field area or a peace posting.
The Bench highlighted that the rigours of military life—including strict discipline, long working hours, frequent transfers, and separation from family—create physical and mental stress that can impact health even in non-operational areas. The court criticised the Release Medical Board for failing to provide specific reasons for its findings, noting that simply labelling an illness as a “lifestyle disorder” without identifying particular lifestyle factors is legally unsustainable. Furthermore, the court rejected attempts to blame obesity or personal habits, pointing out that these were not cited as causes in the original medical findings.
The officer, who served for over 40 years and was fit at the time of enlistment, developed hypertension in 1999 and underwent open-heart surgery in 2016. Despite his disabilities being assessed at 50 per cent for life, his pension was initially denied. The High Court has now directed authorities to grant the 50 per cent disability pension and release all arrears within eight weeks. Failure to do so will result in an interest penalty of 12 per cent per annum.
