Supreme Court orders university to apply revised pay scale to associate professor from 2016

The case concerns Dr. Harish Chandra Tiwari, an Associate Professor, seeking the revised pay scale of Rs. 37,400–67,000 with an Academic Grade Pay (AGP) of Rs. 9,000 from his date of appointment (15.09.2016), rather than from the later date (27.12.2018) when the State Government clarified the pay scale.

Who it concerns: Appellant: Dr. Harish Chandra Tiwari; Respondents: Union of India & Others (including Uttarakhand Sanskrit University and the State Government of Uttarakhand); Bench: Not stated in the provided text.

What the court decided

• The Court disagreed with the High Court's view that the pay scale in the advertisement was a typographical error.
• The Court held that the University is bound by UGC Regulations and MHRD guidelines prescribing the revised pay scale.
• The Court ruled that the University cannot deny the benefit of the revised pay scale from the date of the Appellant's appointment (15.09.2016) despite having failed to implement it earlier.
• The Court rejected the University's contention that the Appellant could not claim the pay scale mentioned in the advertisement due to an alleged error.

Also in the document

• The Court noted that the University had previously admitted in a clarificatory letter (09.01.2018) that it follows UGC regulations and that the revised pay scale was applicable.
• The Court emphasized the principle of parity, stating that similarly situated persons (Associate Professors) must be treated alike regarding the revised pay scale.
• The Court stated that the University 'ought to honour its teachers' and that denying the pay scale caused unnecessary litigation and hardship.