Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985

The case concerned the validity of an amendment to Rule 6 of the Tamil Nadu Revenue Subordinate Service Special Rules introduced by G.O. Ms. No. 660 (19 April 1988) which gave retrospective effect to the amendment made in 1977. The respondents, non‑reserved category assistants, challenged the amendment on the ground th…

The Karnataka Service Commission recruited teachers before 17 November 1993, appointing candidates in excess of the 50% reservation for backward classes and weaker sections. The appointments were challenged on 15 June 1995, more than a year after the selections were made. The Karnataka Administrative Tribunal held that…

The respondents, transferred to the Indian Railways, sought seniority and promotion benefits under a 2005 order of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The department allegedly failed to fully implement the order, prompting the respondents to file a contempt petition before the CAT, which in 2010 directed the app…

The petitioners, railway clerks belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, challenged a Railway Board letter dated 9 October 2003 that applied the reservation policy to posts created by a cadre‑restructuring exercise in Group C and D. The Central Administrative Tribunal had struck down the reservation clau…

The Supreme Court dismissed three civil appeals filed by the Public Services Tribunal Bar Association challenging the constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Public Services (Tribunal) Act, 1976 as amended by Act No. 5 of 2000. The Court held that the State Legislature had competence under Entry 41 of List II to e…

A.G. Sainath Reddy, a Welfare Officer in the Andhra Pradesh Jail Department, was promoted to Deputy Superintendent of Jails on an ad‑hoc basis while the posts were earmarked for direct recruitment by the State Public Service Commission. After the direct recruits joined, the Government regularised service of all, back‑d…

The appellants, doctors employed in Central Health Services and Railways, sought inclusion of the Non‑Practicing Allowance (NPA) in the computation of their pension, arguing that an Office Memorandum dated 29‑Oct‑1999 unjustly excluded NPA for those who retired before 1 January 1996. The Union of India relied on the de…

The respondents, who were employed as data‑entry operators on a contract basis, filed an application before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) under Section 19 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, seeking regularisation of their services on the ground of long rendition of service. The CAT directed that the…

The appellant, a former steward of AIIMS, was suspended in 1991 following a FIR for alleged embezzlement and later convicted in 1993 for theft, leading to his removal from service by a memorandum dated 6 January 2000 under Rule 19(i) of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965. After a settlement that resulted in the quashing of the …

The Karnataka Administrative Tribunal altered the recruitment rules for promotion of stenographers by removing the degree requirement and promoted several stenographers on that basis. Assistant (ministerial cadre) officers, whose promotions were affected, filed applications under Section 19 of the Administrative Tribun…

The Supreme Court examined appeals filed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh against an Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal order that directed re‑determination of seniority and promotion for non‑gazetted posts in the Commercial Tax, Revenue and Police Departments. The Tribunal had held that the State Government's 1…

The respondents, casual typists employed on daily wages by the Indian Railways, had their services terminated and filed writ petitions in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which allowed them. The Union of India appealed, contending that under Section 14 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 the dispute fell within the…

The petitioners were daily‑wage workers in the Himachal Pradesh Irrigation and Public Works Department who had served for more than ten years. A betterment scheme, modified by the Supreme Court in the Moo Raj Upadhyaya case, provided that such workers completing ten years of continuous service as of 31 December 1993 wo…

The Supreme Court examined the cancellation of District Selection Committee written examinations in Anantapur district after a police report detailed massive irregularities, and the subsequent fresh examinations and results. It held that the State Government was justified in cancelling the exams and that the High Court…

The Madras Telephone SC/ST Social Welfare Association sought a direction that the eligibility list for promotion from Junior Engineer to Assistant Engineer be based on the year of confirmation, but the Central Administrative Tribunal had ordered the list to be based on the year of passing the qualifying examination. Th…

The Orissa Public Service Commission advertised a post of Junior Teacher (Lecturer) in Surgical Gastroenterology, requiring an M.S. degree with two years of special training in a Medical Council of India‑recognised institution. Dr. D. Sahu, a qualified surgeon who had acquired such training while assisting at SCB Medic…

N.K. Singh, an IPS officer, was transferred from the post of Joint Director, CBI to an equivalent post of IG in the BSF while handling a sensitive investigation. He challenged the transfer before the Central Administrative Tribunal alleging malafides by the Prime Minister, prejudice to public interest, and violation of…

The appellants, senior officers of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports, challenged a seniority list prepared on the basis of a 1987 Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) judgment that affected their promotion prospects. After review petitions were rejected, they filed an application under Section 19 of the Admi…

S.S. Rana, a Branch Manager of Kangra Central Co‑operative Bank Ltd., was terminated after a disciplinary proceeding under Rule 56(b) of the bank's employee rules read with Section 35‑B(4) of the Himachal Pradesh Co‑operative Societies Act, 1968. He appealed the termination, which was dismissed, and then filed a writ p…

The appellants, untrained graduate teachers appointed in Science, Mathematics and Humanities, had been granted pay parity with trained teachers by various Government orders, High Court judgments and Administrative Tribunal awards. To alleviate the financial burden, the State enacted the Andhra Pradesh Educational Servi…

The case concerned officers of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) of the rank of Lt General (or equivalent) and the Director General AFMS, who were appointed for a fixed two‑year tenure subject to age limits. The Armed Forces Tribunal held that the tenure clause was ultra vires and ordered retirement at the age o…

BabulaL Jain, an Accountant in the Madhya Pradesh Collectorate, was deputed to the post of Election Supervisor. An Office Memorandum dated 9 February 1999 stipulated that such transfers were to be treated as postings, with pay fixed at the lower post and not under Fundamental Rule 22(D) or 22(A) of the M.P. Civil Servi…

The Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation (the appellant, a State) sued two of its employees, an inspector and a field officer/supervisor, for loss of wheat allegedly caused by their negligence and misappropriation. Both employees had been dismissed in departmental proceedings; the inspector was reinstated after depo…

Ms. A. Shainamol, an OBC candidate who qualified on general merit in the 2006 Civil Services Examination, was allocated to the Himachal Pradesh IAS cadre after the state's consent. She challenged the allocation, seeking placement in the Maharashtra cadre on the basis of higher merit than another candidate, and later th…

The appellant, a Forest Range Officer (FRO) appointed in 2006 and promoted to Assistant Conservator of Forests in 2020, sought to have FROs treated as members of the State Forest Service (SFS) for promotion to the Indian Forest Service (IFoS). The issue was whether the term "State Forest Service" in Rule 2(g) of the In…

M.B. Majumdar, a Judicial Member of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), filed a writ petition under Article 32 alleging that the CAT members were discriminated against in pay and superannuation age compared to the Vice‑Chairman and High Court judges, invoking the principle of "equal pay for equal work" and Artic…

The petitioner, a former District and Sessions Judge appointed as a Judicial Member of the Central Administrative Tribunal, challenged the validity of Section 8 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, arguing that a five‑year term with re‑appointment limited the superannuation age to 62 years and was contrary to the…

The appellant, a Junior Accounts Officer, failed the Part‑II departmental examination and claimed that 65 marks of Paper‑IX were based on questions outside the prescribed syllabus. He filed an original application before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) seeking a direction to award the minimum qualifying marks…

Udai Bhan Singh, a Postal Assistant, was charged with misconduct for authorising payments of National Savings Certificate commissions to fictitious agents, resulting in a loss of Rs.6.65 lakh. The disciplinary inquiry found the charges proved, leading to a reduction in pay, which was later enhanced to dismissal by the …

The appellant, M.R. Gupta, a railway employee, claimed that his initial pay fixation in 1978 was incorrect because an increment due on 1 August 1978 under Rule 2018 (Fundamental Rule 22‑C) had not been incorporated. After his representation was rejected before the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, he filed an applica…

Gopabandhu Biswal, a former military officer appointed as Assistant Commandant in the Orissa Military Police, sought promotion to the Indian Police Service (IPS) and obtained a favorable order from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in 1991. The Union of India, the State of Orissa and other respondents challenge…

The widow of a turner who was dismissed from service challenged the disciplinary enquiry that led to his dismissal. The employee had alleged bias against the appointed enquiry officer and requested a change of officer, which the authorities ignored and proceeded with an ex parte enquiry. After the enquiry officer exami…

The Odisha Administrative Tribunal (OAT) was created in 1986 under the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, but was abolished by a Union Government notification dated 2 August 2019, issued under Section 21 of the General Clauses Act in conjunction with Section 4(2) of the same Act, after the State of Odisha requested it…

The appellants, who were Assistant Telegraph Masters (ATMs) in the Posts & Telegraphs Department, were reverted to the post of Telegraphist under the Director‑General's order of 17 August 1983, which also provided that 85% of ATM posts would be upgraded to Lower Scale Telegraph Masters (LSGTMs) and the remaining 15% ab…

The respondents, employed as contractual data entry operators and paid hourly, sought regularization of their posts on the ground of having rendered long service. The Central Administrative Tribunal directed the employer to consider their cases, but the employer challenged the order and the High Court dismissed the wri…

The appellant, a temporary government servant, had rendered over 20 years of service but was compulsorily retired by the Government under Rule 56(J)(ii) of the Fundamental Rules while a disciplinary appeal was pending. He challenged the retirement order before the Central Administrative Tribunal, which held that compul…

S.T. Ramesh, an IPS officer with a career marked by "very good", "excellent" and "outstanding" grades, was assigned an "average" rating with adverse remarks in his Annual Confidential Report for the 150‑day period of 16 Oct 1996 to 15 Mar 1997. He petitioned the Central Administrative Tribunal under the Administrative …

The Supreme Court examined a scheme framed by CSIR for the absorption/regularisation of researchers who had completed at least 15 years of research work, with a cut‑off date of 2 May 1997. The petitioners (researchers) argued that the cut‑off date and the 15‑year requirement were arbitrary, discriminatory and that they…

The appellants, senior officers of the Intelligence Bureau, were dismissed under clause (c) of the second proviso to Article 311(2) of the Constitution on the President’s satisfaction that an inquiry was not expedient in the interest of State security. They challenged the dismissal, arguing that the President’s satisfa…

The Orissa Ministerial Service Rules, 1975 required recruitment of Lower Division Assistants through competitive exams, but many were appointed without complying with the rules and later regularised by government orders invoking Rule 14. The appellants challenged the regularisation and the seniority ranking that placed…

Hari Ram Yadav, an IFS officer of the Haryana cadre, was suspended during pending disciplinary proceedings. He challenged the suspension order before the Central Administrative Tribunal, arguing that the order did not state that the Governor of Haryana was satisfied that suspension was necessary or desirable, as requir…

Krishan Prasad Gupta, an employee, filed a claim under Section 15 of the Payment of Wages Act seeking recovery of unauthorized wage deductions. The Authority passed an ex‑parte order and the respondent appealed under Section 17 before the District Judge. While the appeal was pending, the Central Administrative Tribunal…

The appellants, supervisory employees of the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd., claimed double overtime allowance under Section 59(1) of the Factories Act, 1948 for work performed between 1988 and 2005. Their claim arose while they were central government servants holding civil posts, and therefor…

The seven‑Judge Constitution Bench examined the constitutional validity of sub‑clause (d) of Article 323A and Article 323B, which sought to exclude the jurisdiction of all courts except the Supreme Court under Article 136, and Section 28 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, which attempted a similar exclusion of …

The Board of Arbitration under the Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) Scheme awarded a higher pay scale to Senior Scientific Assistants effective 22 September 1982. The Government of India, without invoking the procedure in Clause 21 of the JCM Scheme, decided to implement the award from 1 January 1988, prompting the C…

P.L. Shah, an Upper Division Clerk, was suspended in July 1975 pending criminal proceedings and was granted a subsistence allowance of 50% of his salary. In May 1982 the allowance was reduced to 25% of his salary. Shah filed a petition before the Central Administrative Tribunal in 1988 seeking restoration of the origin…

Baliram Prasad appealed against the appointment of respondent No. 7 as Extra Department Branch Post Master, alleging that he was more meritorious. The Central Administrative Tribunal dismissed his petition on two grounds: the application was filed after the one‑year limitation period and the appellant was disqualified …

The Union of India filed disciplinary proceedings against IRS officer Upendra Singh alleging that, while handling income‑tax proceedings under sections 133A, 144A and 143(1) of the Income Tax Act, he acted illegally by ignoring incriminating evidence, acquiescing to a reduced disclosure by the assessee and directing pr…

The appellants challenged the entitlement of the respondents to "temporary" status under the Casual Labourers (Grant of Temporary Status and Regularisation) Scheme, 1993. The respondents, who had worked as casual labourers from 1988 to 1997, claimed that they satisfied the scheme’s requirement of at least one year of c…

Shaik Ali, a Class III railway employee, was suspended after a confrontation with a Divisional Safety Officer and subsequently ordered to retire prematurely under Rule 2046(h)(ii) of the Indian Railway Establishment Code, despite not having reached the required age of 55. The Central Administrative Tribunal set aside t…

The Madhya Pradesh High Court Bar Association challenged a notification issued under Section 74(1) of the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 that abolished the Madhya Pradesh State Administrative Tribunal, alleging that the provision was ultra‑vires Article 323A, amounted to excessive delegation of legislative pow…

Senior Laboratory Assistants in West Bengal sought a higher pay scale, leading to a High Court order granting scale 11. Subsequent pay commissions fixed lower scales, and the State framed statutory rules (ROPA Rules) reflecting those scales. Research Assistants later applied to the State Administrative Tribunal for pay…

The appellant, a government employee, was dismissed after suspension but the Central Administrative Tribunal set aside the dismissal and reinstated him on 13 March 1992, also directing that he receive all consequential benefits. The appellant did not receive those benefits, filed a contempt petition which was dismissed…

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) implemented the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau project, funded by a year‑to‑year grant‑in‑aid from the Central Government. K. Rajyalakshmi was appointed to a temporary, year‑to‑year post on 1 April 1975. She sought regularisation of her services, and the matter was tr…

Two Lower Division Clerks of the Indo‑Tibetan Border Police Force filed writ petitions under Article 32 seeking to bar the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) from hearing their promotion matters, arguing that they are members of the Union's armed forces and thus outside the Tribunal's jurisdiction. The respondents c…

The State of West Bengal appealed against a West Bengal Administrative Tribunal order that granted higher pay scales to two officers, Kamal Sengupta and another, after a review application was allowed. The respondents contended that the Tribunal had no jurisdiction to review its own order on the basis of a later decisi…

The Director General of Police suspended P. Chandra MoulI under Rule 8(1)(a) of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Services Rules pending disciplinary proceedings. The employee filed an original application before the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal, which directed him to first pursue the statutory appeal under Rule 33 be…

The appellants, former employees of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), challenged their termination, arguing that CSIR is a "State" within Article 12 of the Constitution and therefore subject to fundamental rights protections. The High Court dismissed the writ petition relying on Sabhajit Tewary,…

Samareendra Das, appointed as Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) by the Governor of West Bengal, was terminated from service in 1979. He filed a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution in the Calcutta High Court, which was initially allowed by a Single Judge. On appeal, the Division Bench held that the APP i…

Dipak Mali, a civilian motor driver, was suspended on 10 August 2002. Sub‑rules (6) and (7) were inserted into Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (CCA) Rules, 1965 by a 2003 notification, effective 2 June 2004, mandating that a suspension be reviewed within ninety days or be extended after such review; otherwise the…

The State of Punjab appointed Harish Dhanda as Chairman of the Punjab Public Service Commission, prompting a public‑interest writ petition under Article 226 alleging lack of integrity, political affiliation and absence of requisite administrative experience. The Punjab & Haryana High Court Division Bench referred speci…

The case concerned a group of platform mazdoor who had worked for the Assistant Salt Commissioner for periods ranging from ten to thirty years and claimed regularisation after completing more than 240 days of work per year. The department argued that the workers were engaged on daily wages on behalf of salt licencees u…

The dispute concerned the eligibility of Shri Deo Kumar Rai, a casual labourer of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), for temporary status and regularisation under the Department of Telecommunications' 1989 Scheme, which requires at least 240 days of work in a single calendar year. A Committee examined his service records…

The case concerned the appointment of the Director, Higher Education in Orissa under the Education Service Rules. The 1990 rules required three years' service as Principal (Grade‑I) and allowed relaxation if insufficient candidates were available. The 1992 amendment introduced a non‑obstante sub‑rule permitting appoint…

Parma Nand, a time‑keeper, was found guilty of preparing a bogus pay‑bill and was dismissed by the competent authority under the Punjab Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1966. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) reduced the dismissal to a stoppage of five future increments, holding the penalty disproportionate. …

A contempt application was filed under Section 17 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 before the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal against the Principal Secretary for wilful disobedience of the Tribunal's order. The State and the Principal Secretary challenged the Tribunal's jurisdiction in the Andhra Prades…

The case concerned scientists of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in the S‑2 and S‑3 grades who were placed in lower pay scales than junior colleagues after a 1989 notification revised pay structures based solely on total service length (8 years for S‑2, 16 years for S‑3). The senior scientists argued…

The Supreme Court reviewed a judgment of the Central Administrative Tribunal (New Delhi) in Union of India v. Harnam Singh, wherein the Tribunal had decided the case through a single member. The Court observed that, in view of the earlier decision in Amulya Chandra Kalita's case, the matter should perhaps be remanded f…

The appellants, originally appointed as Supervisor Grade‑A, were promised a second examination to be graded as Chargeman Grade‑II under a 1967 scheme, but the examination was never held and a "pick‑and‑choose" policy was adopted. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) ordered that the appellants be given notional se…

Ramesh Chand Sharma was promoted to Assistant Legislative Draftsman (Hindi) Class II, while senior employee Udham Singh Kamal was passed over because he lacked three years of experience in the feeder cadre. Kamal filed a representation which was rejected on 2 July 1991 and subsequently filed an application before the H…

The case concerned a senior District Judge of the Madhya Pradesh Judicial Service who retired voluntarily and was appointed as a Member of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). He sought to combine his prior state judicial service with his CAT service to obtain a single, consolidated pension, invoking Rule 16 of t…

The case examined whether a sitting High Court judge appointed as President of a State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission could continue to function as a judge. A group of advocates challenged the appointment, arguing it created a master‑servant relationship and threatened judicial independence, while the governmen…

The Supreme Court examined the appointments of the Vice‑Chairman and four members of the Madhya Pradesh State Administrative Tribunal, which had been challenged by three police inspectors through a public‑interest litigation. The High Court had quashed the appointments, holding that the procedure violated the direction…

The respondents, Tool Room Assistants in the Integrated Fisheries Project, were placed in the pay scale Rs 800‑1150 (maximum Rs 1150) and argued that their post, classified as "skilled" under the Central Government's notification, fell in Group C and thus entitled them to the higher Group C pay scale of Rs 1150‑2900. T…

The Union of India appealed against the Tribunal and High Court orders that directed the appointment of Ankur Gupta (the third respondent) as Postal Assistant, after he was excluded from training on the basis of his vocational‑stream intermediate qualification. The dispute centered on whether the amendment to the 1990 …

The State of Himachal Pradesh prepared a draft development plan for the Shimla Planning Area under the Himachal Pradesh Town & Country Planning Act, 1977, which was stayed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014 and again in 2022. The State challenged the NGT orders before the Himachal Pradesh High Court, while th…

Mehmood Pracha, appearing as counsel before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), was charged with criminal contempt under Section 14 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 for allegedly demanding a camera‑held hearing to make undisclosed allegations against the Chairman. The Tribunal framed the charge on 10‑02‑2020,…

The appellants, junior engineers (Electrical) originally appointed in All India Radio, were deputed to the Postal Department and later opted for permanent absorption on terms that they would be deemed new recruits and their seniority would not be counted. After the seniority list was published, they challenged the excl…

The State of Maharashtra filed a contempt petition after the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) issued an interim direction ordering the government to consider the promotion of Dr. S.S. Srivastava to the Senior Scale and Junior Administrative Grade. The government had already examined the case on 7 June 1996 and con…

The Union of India appealed against a Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) order that had held Dhobis employed at the National Defence Academy (NDA) were civil servants because their salaries were drawn from the Regimental Fund, which the Tribunal said was linked to the Consolidated Fund of India. The petitioners argu…

The petitioners challenged the constitutional validity of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, particularly the exclusion of High Court jurisdiction under Articles 226 and 227 and the qualifications for appointing the Chairman, Vice‑Chairman and members of the Tribunal. The Court held that while Parliament may creat…

The petitioners challenged the panel prepared for appointing Vice‑Chairmen of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and the constitutional validity of the explanation to Section 6 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985. The Allahabad High Court, exceeding the issues raised, directed that only persons qualified a…

The Bombay Canteen Employees' Association, representing five canteen workers of the Prabhadevi Telephone Exchange, challenged their termination without notice or retrenchment compensation, seeking reinstatement and back wages under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The Union of India contended that the canteen employe…

The petitioners challenged a High Court order on the interpretation of Section 5(4)(a) of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, contending that a Chairman who is a Judicial Member could also act as an Administrative Member on another bench. The Supreme Court examined the language of the provision, which allows a Chai…

Udaysingh, a Civil Judge, was accused of demanding Rs.10,000 as illegal gratification to influence a judgment. The allegation led to adverse remarks in his confidential report, a disciplinary enquiry, and ultimately his dismissal by the High Court acting as disciplinary authority. Udaysingh challenged the dismissal in …

Dr. H. Mukherjee, a Central Government employee, filed a civil suit seeking Rs. 2 lakh in damages against his superior, S.K. Bhargava, alleging that the latter deliberately issued vindictive orders and tampered with official records to harass him and block his appointment as Chief Controller. The defendant contended th…

The appellant, a Scheduled Tribe (ST) officer in Central Water Engineering, was eligible for promotion to Deputy Director/Executive Engineer and was placed at No. 26 in a combined select list prepared by the Departmental Promotion Committee. Only 22 promotion vacancies materialised, and the first 22 names on the combin…

Sheela Rani was engaged as a casual worker on 17 November 1982 to note complaints in an enquiry office. She sought regularisation of her post with retrospective effect from that date, invoking directions of the Administrative Tribunal. The Tribunal ordered her regularisation retrospectively, but the Delhi High Court di…

Employees of the departmental canteen of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. were terminated and challenged the termination before the Central Government Industrial Tribunal (CGIT), which reinstated them. The Bombay High Court division bench held that, because the canteen posts were civil posts under a 1979 notification, th…

The petitioners, who were directly recruited Section Officers in the Central Secretariat Service, challenged a 1984 amendment to Rule 12(2) of the C.S.S. Rules that required eight years of approved service as a condition for consideration for promotion to Grade I. They argued that the rule arbitrarily excluded senior d…

The Supreme Court examined whether Anganwadi workers and helpers appointed under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme are holders of civil posts within the meaning of Articles 309, 310 and 311 of the Constitution. The workers, who are selected by a committee, receive only an honorarium and are not ap…

The appellants, trained electricians employed by various contractors to maintain electricity at a government medical college and hospital in Chandigarh, sought regularisation of their services, arguing that the Engineering Department of the Chandigarh Administration exercised complete control over their work and was th…

The first respondent was appointed Chief Engineer of Pondicherry's Public Works Department on short‑term deputation pending a regular appointment under the 1996 Recruitment Rules. He was repatriated after eight months and challenged the repatriation before the Central Administrative Tribunal, which set aside the order.…

Visually‑impaired candidate Ravi Prakash Gupta cleared the Civil Services Examination and was placed fifth among candidates of his disability category, but was denied appointment because only one post was offered for visually‑handicapped candidates. He claimed entitlement to a reservation under Section 33 of the Person…

The appellants, directly recruited Assistant Engineers appointed in 1980 against vacancies of 1978, claimed seniority over promotee Assistant Engineers appointed in 1979‑80, invoking Rule 26 of the Orissa Service of Engineers Rules, 1941. The respondents filed a review and a separate original application before the Sta…

The employees of Kendriya Vidyalaya filed writ petitions in the Jammu & Kashmir High Court challenging service‑related decisions. The school sought transfer of the petitions to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on the ground that the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 governs such disputes. The High Court rejec…

Unni Menon, an Assistant Accounts Officer on deputation to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), was promoted in his parent department and later absorbed as an Accounts Officer in CAT. He claimed that, under a 1992 Government circular granting a promotional grade to "Organized Accounts Cadres," he was entitled to …

The State of West Bengal revised the pay scales of its government employees effective 1 January 1986 under the West Bengal Services (Revision of Pay & Allowances) Rules, 1990, and issued a memorandum in 1990 to compute pension for retirees on the basis of the notionally revised scales. Pre‑1986 retirees, represented by…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) could entertain challenges to regulations made by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) under Section 36 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997. It held that the power conferred on TRAI by Sectio…

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) ordered a fresh seniority list on 3 November 1999 without fixing a time‑limit for compliance. The Director of Education complied on 27 October 2000, while the order was simultaneously challenged before the Delhi High Court under Article 226. Despite the compliance and the pendi…

The appellant, a government servant, was dismissed by the Collector on 13 January 1966 and his appeal to the Divisional Commissioner was dismissed on 31 August 1966. He filed a suit on 30 September 1969 seeking a declaration that the dismissal was inoperative, but the trial court and the High Court dismissed the suit o…

The Tamil Nadu Government dismissed about two lakh employees who went on strike, prompting the employees to file writ petitions under Articles 226/227 challenging the dismissals and the validity of the Tamil Nadu Essential Services Maintenance Act, 2002 and Tamil Nadu Ordinance No.3 of 2003. The High Court initially st…

The petitioners challenged several amendments made by the Administrative Tribunals (Amendment) Act, 2006, including the abolition of the Vice‑Chairman post, the new qualification criteria for Administrative Members, the ten‑year total tenure limit (s.10A), differential service conditions for members appointed before an…

Keshab Deb was appointed as a casual daily‑wage driver in the Directorate of Telecommunications, Dimapur, and was terminated allegedly for misconduct after a brief imprisonment. He filed a writ petition alleging violation of Section 25‑F of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 and seeking regularisation under a casual‑lab…

The petitioner, a former semi‑skilled workman who later became an Assistant Store Keeper, claimed that he was unfairly excluded from promotion to the OEP Section, alleging a violation of his right to consideration. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) dismissed his application through a single‑member bench. He cha…

The Union of India filed a transfer petition under Section 25 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 to move a disciplinary case filed by Alapan Bandyopadhyay before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Kolkata bench to the Principal Bench in Delhi. The Delhi Principal Bench allowed the transfer, but the Calcut…

The Union of India appealed against an Armed Forces Tribunal order that had granted One Rank One Pension (OROP) to Lt. Col. Om Dutt Sharma (deceased) and other personnel who served in the Army Postal Service (APS) on deputation from the Department of Posts. The respondents argued that, as temporary commissioned officer…

The Supreme Court clarified the procedure for appointing members of Administrative Tribunals under the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985. It held that recruitment to the Central Administrative Tribunal must be overseen by a High‑Powered Selection Committee headed by a sitting Supreme Court judge nominated by the Chief…

The case concerned an IPS officer (Respondent No.3) who applied for voluntary retirement with immediate effect on 5 May 1993, deposited the required notice money, and then left India without waiting for the Government’s acceptance. The Government of India accepted his retirement on 2 March 1995, making the retirement e…

The Union of India appealed against two High Court judgments that had entertained writ petitions filed by K.D. Batish and Ram Kishore Prasad, who had been recommended for appointment as Judicial Members of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) but were not appointed after the Intelligence Bureau report on their ant…

Shanker Raju, a Judicial Member of the Central Administrative Tribunal, completed two five‑year terms (total ten years) and applied for a fresh vacancy in April 2010. The Union of India rejected his application, stating that he would complete his second term on 9 December 2010 and was therefore ineligible for re‑appoin…

The Central Government sanctioned a primary school for children of ordnance factory employees, while the employees themselves established a secondary school staffed by teachers paid honorarium from fees. The teachers sought regularisation and equal pay before the Central Administrative Tribunal, which directed the Gove…

The Union of India appealed against a High Court of Uttarakhand order that set aside the Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal’s (CAT) transfer of an original application (OA) from the Nainital Circuit Bench to the Principal Bench in New Delhi. The Union argued that the High Court lacked territorial jurisdict…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of Section 5(6) of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, and broader questions concerning the powers of administrative tribunals under Articles 323‑A and 323‑B of the Constitution. Relying on the earlier decision in S. P. Sampath Kumar v. Union of India, the Court observed that…

The appellant, an engineer promoted on an ad‑hoc basis in 1972 pending Public Service Commission approval, challenged the seniority list that placed direct recruits appointed the same year ahead of him. The Orissa Administrative Tribunal initially held the appellant senior, but on review reversed its decision, relying …

The Union of India appealed a decision of the Central Administrative Tribunal which had set aside an award of a Board of Arbitrators and directed that Scientific Assistants of the Botanical Survey of India receive the Rs.550‑900 pay scale. The Board had been tasked only with deciding whether the revised scale of Rs.550…

The teachers (respondents) misused Leave Travel Concession benefits in 1981‑82, leading to recovery actions in 1984‑86. They filed applications before the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal challenging the government's right to recover the amounts. In August 1989 the Tribunal, in similar cases, held that the government …

Mohammed Ansari, a member of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), sought non‑functional financial upgradation after completing the requisite service. He filed an original application before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which, despite a preliminary objection by the Government on jurisdiction, ente…

A. Durairaj, a senior section engineer of Southern Railways, was denied an ad‑hoc promotion to Assistant Signal and Telecommunication Engineer (ASTE) in 1976 on the ground of colour blindness as certified by a medical report. After obtaining a B.E. degree in 1998, he was medically cleared and promoted as Assistant Work…

R.N.A. Britto, appointed as Secretary of the Bajpe Panchayat under the Karnataka Village and Local Boards Act, 1959, was terminated by a memo dated 4 November 1986. He challenged the termination before the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal, which dismissed his petition on the ground that he was not a civil servant of t…

The Kerala Public Service Commission advertised 12 Boat Lascar vacancies requiring a current Lascar's licence, but the appellant, holding a higher Syrang's licence, applied and was placed first in the ranked list and advised for appointment. While the appointment was pending, two applications were filed before the Kera…

The appeal concerned an order of the Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) who, sitting alone, stayed proceedings before a two‑member bench and rendered its interim orders ineffective. The petitioner (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) argued that the Chairman had acted beyond his statutory author…