Delhi HC: Hypertension Not Enough to Deny Pension to Retired IAF Officer

• The Delhi High Court ruled that primary hypertension, even if considered lifestyle-related, cannot automatically deny disability pension to a retired Indian Air Force (IAF) officer.
• Justices V Kameswar Rao and Manmeet PS Arora stated that lifestyle factors vary, and medical boards must provide clear, individual-specific explanations for their findings.
• The court dismissed the Centre's challenge, upholding an Armed Forces Tribunal order to grant disability pension to the officer.
• The High Court noted the officer had no disability upon joining in 1981 and the medical board failed to explain why hypertension wasn't service-related or justify its lifestyle classification.
• The judgment emphasized the medical board's obligation to provide detailed reasons and findings when concluding on disability pension cases.

Why It Matters: Delhi HC rules that merely labeling hypertension as a lifestyle disease is insufficient to deny disability pension.