The Rajasthan High Court held that employees selected through the same recruitment process cannot be paid differently merely because they joined service on different dates.
Key Observations
The Court said that candidates selected in the same recruitment cycle form a single class, and treating them differently in pay fixation violates the equality principle.
Fixing different pay or annual increments based solely on joining dates is discriminatory and contrary to Article 14 of the Constitution.
Administrative delays in issuing appointment orders cannot deprive some employees of financial benefits granted to others from the same selection process.
Case Background
The petitions were filed by school lecturers in Rajasthan who were selected in the same recruitment but were given different pay fixation and increments due to varying joining dates.
The state relied on a cut-off date and finance department circular to justify the difference in pay.
Court’s Decision
Justice Chandra Shekhar Sharma held the practice to be arbitrary and unconstitutional, directing that employees from the same recruitment process must be treated equally for pay fixation and annual increments.
Legal Principle:
Employees recruited through the same selection process must receive equal pay and increments, regardless of differences in their joining dates.
