Supreme Court of India Judgements

47290Judgements hosted as on 25/07/2026 - Search (FREE), Subscribe @ Rs 99/- for 6 months, sclaw@sclaw.in, WA +91 9417245693.

Category: Service

Service Matters
Service

Service Law — Recruitment Rules — Eligibility Criteria — Date of Possession of Qualification — For recruitment to the post of Assistant Prosecution Officer, the essential educational qualification must be possessed by the candidate on the date of submission of the application, not at a later stage like the interview or examination date.

May 12, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 444 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAJASTHAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION Vs. LAVANSHU SANKHLA AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Civil Appeal…

Service Matters
Service

Public Administration and Service Rules — Interpretation of merger of departments and promotion rules — The Supreme Court set aside the High Court’s judgment that questioned a government order (G.O.) granting a notional promotion to an employee — The Court found that the original G.O — was issued in compliance with prior High Court orders and a merger policy that was not challenged by any party, thus validating the promotion and subsequent advancements.

May 12, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 446 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE STATE OF TAMIL NADU AND ANOTHER Vs. R. SASIPRIYA AND ANOTHER ( Before : Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahadevan, JJ.…

Service Matters
Service

Recruitment Process — Advertisement and Selection — While filling vacancies, State instrumentalities must adhere to comparative merit and avoid discrimination — A candidate in a select list does not gain an indefeasible right to appointment without specific rules to that effect.

May 11, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 459 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DURGAPUR STEEL PLANT AND OTHERS Vs. BIDHAN CHANDRA CHOWDHURY AND OTHERS ( Before : Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, JJ.…

Service Matters
Service

Police Manual, Jharkhand, Rule 828 read with Appendix 49 — Procedure for imposition of major penalties — Respondent No — 1 was provided with charge memorandum, relevant materials, afforded adequate defence opportunity, participated in enquiry, received enquiry report, and submitted representation, satisfying procedural fairness.

May 10, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 466 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH THE STATE OF JHARKHAND AND OTHERS Vs. RANJAN KUMAR AND OTHERS ( Before : Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R. Mahadevan, JJ. )…

Service Matters
Service

Civil Services — Tenure Curtailment — Not Punitive Unless Stigmatic — Curtailment of tenure and reversion to a lower post is not punitive or stigmatic merely because it is premature or based on unsatisfactory performance reports, as long as the order itself does not impute misconduct or stigma beyond unsuitability for the role.

Apr 30, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 427 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SADACHARI SINGH TOMAR Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS ( Before : Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul M. Pancholi, JJ. )…

Service Matters
Service

Service Law — Regularisation of Service — Daily Wage Employees — The Supreme Court held that a scheme formulated by the respondents, which contemplated engagement on a temporary basis, was at variance with the Tribunal’s directions for engagement on a permanent footing — The Court set aside the scheme and directed the regularisation of services for the appellants with permanent status.

Apr 30, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 431 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH R. IYYAPPAN AND OTHERS Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS ( Before : Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, JJ. ) Civil…

Service Matters
Service

Dispute over cadre change versus mere transfer — A transfer is a change of posting within the same service without altering seniority or substantive status, differing from a cadre change which involves a structural shift between services with significant implications for seniority and promotional avenues, requiring specific authority.

Apr 28, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 404 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH RAJENDRA SINGH BORA Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND OTHERS ( Before : Sanjay Karol and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, JJ. ) Civil…

Service Matters
Service

Recruitment Rules and Advertisement — Essential Qualifications — Work Experience — In absence of a specific rule or advertisement provision, a recruiting agency cannot relax essential eligibility criteria by treating a higher qualification as a replacement for a mandatory essential qualification — A preference for a higher qualification operates only for eligible and meritorious candidates and does not override or supplant the primary requirement of essential eligibility.

Apr 25, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 391 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH HIMAKSHI Vs. RAHUL VERMA AND OTHERS ( Before : J.K. Maheshwari and Atul S. Chandurkar, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No. 5942…

Service Matters
Service

Public Employment — Recruitment — Medical Unfitness — Suppression of Material Facts — A candidate found medically unfit for a post, specifically for knock knees, cannot retain an appointment if this vital fact was suppressed, especially when the initial appointment and subsequent reinstatement were based on either flawed processes or non-disclosure of disqualifying conditions — The principle of “fraud unravels everything” applies, and an appointment vitiated by the suppression of a disqualifying medical condition cannot be sustained.

Apr 25, 2026 sclaw

2026 INSC 394 SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH AND OTHERS Vs. AJAY KUMAR MALIK ( Before : Ahsanuddin Amanullah and N. V. Anjaria, JJ. )…

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Accident

Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — Sections 165, 166 — Death allegedly caused by murder inside a motor vehicle — Claim for compensation — Requirement of causal link between death and “use” of motor vehicle — Held, mere presence of a motor vehicle in the chain of circumstances leading to death does not attract liability under MVA — Some nexus between the vehicle and the death must be established.

Jul 25, 2026 sclaw
State Laws

Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Act, 1976 — Section 2(25) — “Occupier” — Scope of definition — The MHAD Act defines only “occupier,” which includes any person liable to pay rent, an owner in occupation, a rent-free tenant, a licensee, or one liable to pay damages for use and occupation — Occupancy is not a statutory tenancy dependent on the owner’s will, and even a person in possession without formal rent liability may claim occupancy status for reallotment purposes.

Jul 25, 2026 sclaw
Stamp Act

Stamp Act, 1899 — Section 26, proviso — Mining lease — Stamp duty on instrument with indeterminate value — Determinant of stamp duty — Where value of subject-matter is indeterminate at execution, proviso to S.26 specifically governs mining leases, directing that estimated royalty or value of share, as estimated by the Collector where State is lessor, suffices for stamp duty purposes — Proviso held not inconsistent with main provision — actual value of mining lease is ascertainable only once mining operations commence

Jul 25, 2026 sclaw
Service

Service Law — Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACPS) — Grade Pay convergence — Effect on promotions within cadre — Convergence of Grade Pay pursuant to Sixth Central Pay Commission does not obliterate separate identity of promotional posts within a cadre — Promotions carry promotional increments, enhanced running-duty allowances and post-specific benefits, remaining financially meaningful notwithstanding constancy of Grade Pay.

Jul 25, 2026 sclaw