Supreme Court’s Key Findings on Contractual Employee Regularization in India
SUPREME COURT RULING ON REGULARIZATION OF CONTRACTUAL EMPLOYEES IN INDIA
| ASPECTS | DETAILS |
| Case Title | Sports Authority of India & Anr. vs. Dr. Kulbir Singh Rana |
| Introduction | The case deals with the employment rights of physiotherapists hired by SAI under contract and their eligibility for regularization under the 2022 Rules. |
| Factual Background | The respondents were engaged as contractual physiotherapists since 2021. When the 2022 Recruitment Rules were introduced, their contracts were not renewed, and they were excluded from regularization under the “initial constitution” clause. The respondents challenged this decision before the CAT. |
| Legal Issues |
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| Applicable Law |
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| Analysis | The CAT ruled that the respondents’ appointments were irregular but not illegal, making them eligible for inclusion in the “initial constitution.Delhi High Court upheld this decision and SAI’s own counsel conceded to following the CAT’s ruling.Supreme Court dismissed SAI’s appeal, stating that once a party concedes in court, they cannot later challenge the order. |
| Conclusion | The Supreme Court upheld the CAT and High Court decisions, confirming that the respondents should be regularized under the 2022 Rules. It rejected SAI’s attempt to backtrack on its concession. |
| Current Scenario | The Supreme Court’s ruling means that the respondents must now be treated as regular employees. SAI must comply with the decision and reinstate the affected individuals with full benefits. |
CASE SUMMARY – In this case, the employment status of physiotherapists engaged on a contractual basis with the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The respondents, including Dr. Kulbir Singh Rana, challenged their exclusion from the “initial constitution” under the 2022 SAI Recruitment Rules. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) ruled in their favor, directing SAI to consider them as regular employees. The Delhi High Court upheld this decision. However, SAI attempted to recall the order, which was dismissed. The Supreme Court affirmed the CAT’s ruling, rejecting SAI’s challenge and confirming that the respondents should be deemed regular employees under the 2022 Rules.
“The Supreme Court upholds the rights of contractual employees, ensuring fair recruitment and regularization under Indian employment laws.”
SOURCE –SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
