Home / War and Conflict / Military Nurses Gain Ex-Servicemen Status
Military Nurses Gain Ex-Servicemen Status
11 Feb
Summary
- MNS officers now receive ex-servicemen benefits post-retirement.
- Supreme Court favored granting ESM status to MNS officers in April 2025.
- New rules, Ex-servicemen Amendment Rules, 2026, were notified Monday.
Military Nursing Service (MNS) officers have officially been granted ex-servicemen (ESM) status following their retirement. This long-awaited recognition, notified on Monday, ensures MNS officers receive benefits comparable to other short service commissioned (SSC) officers from regular army, navy, and air force, particularly regarding civil service job quotas. The Ex-servicemen (Re-employment in Central Civil Services and Posts) Amendment Rules, 2026, formalize this change.
Historically, MNS was treated as ESM, but a 2019 letter reversed this, causing considerable hardship and legal recourse for officers. The recent notification stems from a Supreme Court decision in April 2025, which upheld a Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling favoring MNS officers. The issue gained prominence when a former MNS officer's civil services application was rejected due to non-ESM status, initiating legal challenges that highlighted the integral role of MNS in defense.
The Supreme Court's dismissal of an appeal in April 2025 affirmed that MNS is a vital part of the military. This decision emphasized the importance of veteran resettlement to encourage youth to join the armed forces, acknowledging the contributions of MNS officers who have served since World War I in various capacities, including medical support during conflicts and UN missions.
