IAF to ease medical norms for recruitment

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is relaxing medical norms which will make it much easier to join than before. Many abnormalities or ailments, which made people technically “unfit” to gain entry into the IAF or fly aircraft, are soon to be waived off.

In the light of lack of scientific basis to conclude that spinal deformities affect flying and with the availability of new medical technologies and better drugs, several ailments like asthma, diabetes, coronary heart diseases, hypertension may be ticked off from the list of ailments that rendered one unfit to enter the IAF.

“We are looking into those issues and taking out a new order for commissioning, selection and flying purposes and they will be declared fit (for flying),” Air Marshal Pawan Kapoor, director general medical services (air) said referring to spinal deformities.

Speaking at sidelines of 64th International Congress of Aviation and Space Medicine here, the Air Marshal said: “There are 10-12 ailments which have already been taken off. Rest are in the pipeline and decision is likely in next 7-10 days”. He added that while medical approval has been taken, an administrative approval is awaited and the process will be done without compromising with flight safety.

The medical board of the Air Force has also removed 19 drugs like anti-diabetics off the list which were earlier considered as a “taboo” for flying.

The IAF had formed a committee comprising spinal surgeons, neurosurgeons, physicians, radiologists and it was concluded that there is no evidence to show these spinal deformities can affect flight safety and physical capability and conditioning of the pilots.

Certain abnormalities like disk degeneration will be taken up on a case-to-case basis, Kapoor said.