Candidate declared unfit for Navy due to ear ailment moves HC

The Delhi High Court has sought response of the Centre on a plea by a man challenging the Indian Navy's decision not to recruit him as a sailor, despite having cleared the written and physical tests, on the ground that he allegedly suffered from an ear-related ailment that may affect his hearing in the long term.

A vacation bench of Justices Jayant Nath and Najmi Waziri issued notice to the central government and the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) seeking their reply to the petition which has sought that a review medical board be set up to review the petitioner's case.

The petitioner, Ravi, has said in his plea that he was declared unfit for being recruited as a sailor after the medical examination on the ground that he suffered from tympanosclerosis in his left ear.

Tympanosclerosis is a medical condition in which the connective tissue of the middle ear degenerates and sometimes causes a detrimental effect to hearing.

Both the initial medical examination and then the appellate medical board had declared him unfit for duty.

The petition, filed through advocate J R Rana, has claimed that when the petitioner got his ear examined from AIIMS here and the Jindal Institute of Medical Sciences at Hissar, the doctors at both places declared his hearing as normal.

Thereafter, he applied for constitution of a review medical board to re-examine him, the plea has said and added that no response was received from DGAFMS regarding his request.

Ravi has contended in his plea that the rules provide for constituting a review medical board if a candidate wishes to challenge the findings of the appellate medical board.

During the hearing, the lawyer for the government told the court while the petitioner's hearing may be normal now, the ailment he has would affect his hearing in the long run which would not be desirable in a naval officer.