{"id":268814,"date":"1977-02-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1977-02-02T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/prabhat-kiran-maithani-ors-vs-union-of-india-anr-on-3-february-1977"},"modified":"2016-12-08T08:26:53","modified_gmt":"2016-12-08T02:56:53","slug":"prabhat-kiran-maithani-ors-vs-union-of-india-anr-on-3-february-1977","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/prabhat-kiran-maithani-ors-vs-union-of-india-anr-on-3-february-1977","title":{"rendered":"Prabhat Kiran Maithani & Ors vs Union Of India & Anr on 3 February, 1977"},"content":{"rendered":"
Supreme Court of India<\/div>\n
Prabhat Kiran Maithani & Ors vs Union Of India & Anr on 3 February, 1977<\/div>\n
Equivalent citations: 1977 AIR 1553, 1977 SCR (2) 911<\/div>\n
Author: M H Beg<\/div>\n
Bench: Beg, M. Hameedullah (Cj)<\/div>\n
           PETITIONER:\nPRABHAT KIRAN MAITHANI & ORS.\n\n\tVs.\n\nRESPONDENT:\nUNION OF INDIA & ANR.\n\nDATE OF JUDGMENT03\/02\/1977\n\nBENCH:\nBEG, M. HAMEEDULLAH (CJ)\nBENCH:\nBEG, M. HAMEEDULLAH (CJ)\nKAILASAM, P.S.\n\nCITATION:\n 1977 AIR 1553\t\t  1977 SCR  (2) 911\n 1977 SCC  (2) 365\n CITATOR INFO :\n RF\t    1992 SC1203\t (11)\n\n\nACT:\n\t    Pay Scales and revised pay scales of computers shown  as\n\tidentical  in the Second Pay Commission Report--Right to  be\n\tequated\t as Research Assistants Grade 11 both in status\t and\n\tin pay is entirely within the sphere of the function of\t the\n\tPay  Commission--Effect of the Report of the Third Pay\tCom-\n\tmission.\n\t    Constitution of India, 1950--Article 32<\/a> can be  resorted\n\tto only for the enforcement of Fundamental  Rights--Equation\n\tof posts is not a duty which the court under Art. 32<\/a> or\t the\n\tHigh Court under Art. 226<\/a> was competent to carry out.\n\n\n\nHEADNOTE:\n\t    In the 1959 Second Pay Commission Report, the pay scales\n\tand  the revised pay scales of the Computers were  shown  as\n\tidentical  with\t that of the Research Assistants  Grade\t II,\n\teven  though the 'two posts were shown as separate  classes.\n\tThe  Third Pay Commission Report, however, showed  that\t the\n\tComputers not only belonged to a separate class of their own\n\tbut  received less pay than Research Assistants'  Grade\t II.\n\tThe  petitioners  assailed this view under Art.\t 32<\/a>  of\t the\n\tConstitution  as  violative of Articles 14 and\t16  of\t the\n\tConstitution on the ground that they had a Fundamental Right\n\tto  be equated both in status as well as in Day to  that  of\n\tResearch Assistants, Grade II.\n\tDismissing the petition the Court.\n\t    HELD:   (1)\t Equation of posts and equation of  pay\t are\n\tmatters\t entirely within the sphere of the function  of\t the\n\tPay  Commission.   These are questions\tentirely  unfit\t for\n\tdetermination upon a petition for a writ for the enforcement\n\tof  Fundamental\t Rights.  It  requires,\t firstly,   formula-\n\ttion   of  correct criteria for\t each  classification.\tand,\n\tsecondly. the application of these criteria to facts  relat-\n\ting to the functions and the qualifications for each  class.\n\tThe Pay Commission had done this in the instant case  elabo-\n\trately,. [912 F, 913 B-C]\n\t    (2)\t The Court, under Art. 32.<\/a> neither has wider  powers\n\tnor  can do it with greater facility than a High Court\tcan-\n\tnot,  when exercising its writ issuing\tjurisdiction.\tThis\n\tCourt had already laid down that equation of posts is not  a\n\tduty  which  the High Court was competent to  carry  out  in\n\tproceedings under Art. 226.<\/a> [913 D]\n\tUnion  of  India v. G.R. Prabhavalkar & Co<\/a>. [1973]  (3)\t SCR\n\t714, referred\n\t    (3)\t The  question,\t whether there is or  there  is\t not\n\tenough material on record in a particular case to  establish\n\tthe basis of a particular discrimination is one of fact\t for\n\tthe  determination  of which no hard and fast rules  can  be\n\tlaid  down.  A discrimination which involves the  invocation\n\tof  Art. 14<\/a> is not necessarily covered by Art. 16.<\/a>   In\t the\n\tinstant case, even the material relied upon by the petition-\n\ters shows the Computers and Research Assistants Grade II are\n\tclassified separately, and, therefore, the validity of\tthat\n\tclassification\tcannot be displaced by the kind of  evidence\n\trelied on.  Until that classification is shown to be  unjus-\n\ttified, no question of violating Article 16<\/a> can arise.\n\t[913 G-H, 914 A]\n\t    Purshottam Lal and Ors. v. Union of India & Anr<\/a>.  [1973]\n\t(1) SCC 651 held inapplicable.\n\n\n\nJUDGMENT:\n<\/pre>\n
\tORIGINAL JURISDICTION: Writ Petition No. 43 of 1976.
\n\tS.C. Agarwal for the Petitioners.\n<\/p>\n
\t912<\/span><\/p>\n
\tL.N. Sinha, Sol Genl. and B. Datta for Respondents.
\n\tThe Judgment of the Court was delivered by
\n\t    BEG,  C.J.–The petitioners before us are  employees  of
\n\tthe Forest Research Institute and Colleges Dehra Dun in\t the
\n\tposts  designated  as Computers.   Their grievance  is\tthat
\n\tthey should be\ttreated as Research Assistants Grade II\t and
\n\tgiven the same scale of pay and other conditions of  service
\n\tas  are\t applicable to Research Assistants  Grade  II.\t The
\n\trespondents, Union of India and the President of the  Forest
\n\tResearch Institute deny that the petitioners are entitled to
\n\tbe treated as Research Assistants Grade II.  The petitioners
\n\trely upon certain alleged admissions on behalf of the  oppo-
\n\tsite parties, on certain classifications of Computers in the
\n\tpast, prior to the recommendations the Third Pay  Commission
\n\t1973 as well as on the last mentioned report of the  Central
\n\tPay  Commission.  Furthermore, learned counsel\thas  invited
\n\tour  attention\tto the case of Purshottam Lal and  Ors.\t Vs.
\n\tUnion of India and another [1973  (1)  S.C.C. 651] whereupon
\n\ta Writ Petition by Computers, they were shown as having been
\n\tgiven  identical scales of pay with the Research  Assistants
\n\tGrade  II.   This decision however, does not deal  with\t any
\n\tcontroversy as to the correct classification of computers in
\n\tcomparison  with Research Assistants Grade II.\tAll we\tneed
\n\tsay  is\t that this case deals with the\tposition  under\t the
\n\tReport\tof 1959 of’ the Second Pay Commission which  has  no
\n\tbearing on the position which follows from the Report of the
\n\tThird Pay Commission of 1973.  Moreover, it is evident\tthat
\n\teven at that time Research Assistants Grade II and  Computer
\n\twere shown as separate classes even though their pay  scales
\n\tand  the revised pay scales were shown as  identical.\tThus
\n\tthe  claim of the petitioners is that this Court should\t not
\n\tonly  include  the Computers  amongst\tResearch  Assistants
\n\tGrade  II, which is not borne out even from  the  Report  of
\n\tthe  Second Pay Commission, but go further and equate  their
\n\tpays, so that. even though they belong to different classes,
\n\ttheir scales of pay may be identical.  We are afraid this is
\n\ta  matter which lay entirely within the sphere of the  func-
\n\ttions of the Pay Commission. This Court cannot satisfactori-
\n\tly  decide such disputed questions on the salender  material
\n\ton  which the learned counsel for the petitioner  relies  in
\n\torder  to  displace what appears to us to be,  prima  facie,
\n\tthe  effect  of the Report of the Third\t Pay  Commission  of
\n\t1973.\tThis report shows that Computers not only belong  to
\n\ta  separate class  of their own but received less  pay\tthan
\n\tResearch Assistants of Grade II.\n<\/p>\n
\t    Learned Counsel for the petitioner’s tried to get out of
\n\tthe report of the Third Pay Commission contained in  Chapter
\n\tXVII  relating to the Economists and Statisticians,  wherein
\n\tComputers  are mentioned and dealt with in paragraphs 32  to
\n\t34, by asserting that their case should be covered by either
\n\tChapter XV, which deals with “Scientific Services” (specifi-
\n\tcally  mentioned  therein) or Chapter  XXI,  concerned\twith
\n\tMinistry of Agriculture, where the Forest Research Institute
\n\tand  Colleges are mentioned in paragraphs 58  onwards.\t  It
\n\tseems to us to be erroneous to attempt to place Computers in
\n\tChapter XV, which deals with specified “Scientific Services”
\n\twhere Computers\t are not mentioned, or in Chapter XXI, which
\n\talso does not mention Corn-\n<\/p>\n
\t913<\/span><\/p>\n
\tputers\tat all.\t  Learned Counsel for the petitioners  tried
\n\tto  take advantage of the fact that paragraphs dealing\twith
\n\tthe Forest Research Institute in Chapter XXI do not  mention
\n\tComputers.    It  does not follow from this  that  Computers
\n\tnecessarily belong to the  class into which the\t petitioners
\n\twant  to get in without showing what the criteria and  func-
\n\ttions of persons entitled to be treated as Research  Assist-
\n\tants  of Grade II are as compared with the  Computers\twho,
\n\tprima facie belong to another class of workers dealing\twith
\n\tstatistics even though they may be in some way assisting  in
\n\tresearch  or  three may be some common\tfunctions.   Indeed,
\n\teveryone working in a research institute could, in some way,
\n\tbe  said to be assisting in research.  We think\t that  these
\n\tare questions entirely unfit for determination upon a  peti-
\n\ttion  for a Writ for the enforcement of fundamental  rights.
\n\tIt  requires: firstly, formulation of correct criteria\t for
\n\teach classification; and, secondly, the application of these
\n\tcriteria  to facts relating to the functions and  qualifica-
\n\ttions  for  each  class. The Pay Commission  had  done\tthis
\n\telaborately.\n<\/p>\n
\t    The learned Solicitor General has invited our  attention
\n\tto  the case of Union of India v. G.R. Prabhavalkar  &\tOrs<\/a>.
\n\treported in 1973 (3) S.C.R. 714, where this Court held\tthat
\n\tequation  of  posts is not a duty which the High  Court\t was
\n\tcompetent to carry out in proceedings under Article 226.<\/a>  We
\n\tdo  not\t think that we have wider powers or that we  can  do
\n\twith greater facility what a High Court cannot when exercis-
\n\ting its writ issuing jurisdiction.\n<\/p>\n
\t    The\t learned  counsel for the petitioners has  tried  to
\n\ttake  us  at some length into the material on which  he\t as-
\n\tsails the view taken by the opposite parties.  We are unable
\n\tto  agree  that, on the material placed before\tus,  we\t can
\n\taccept the petitioners’ interpretation of facts to which our
\n\tattention was drawn.  We are unable to consider other  mate-
\n\trial  also to which our attention was attempted to be  drawn
\n\tbecause,  on the basis of the materials shown to us, we\t are
\n\tsatisfied that such matters are not fit for determination by
\n\tus on the kind of material sought to be placed before us.
\n\t    Finally,  learned  counsel for the\tpetitioners  pleaded
\n\tthat we may permit him to raise this matter before an Admin-
\n\tistrative or Service Tribunal if and when one is  constitut-
\n\ted.   It is not necessary for us to give him any  permission
\n\tto do that. We may however observe that the petitioners\t are
\n\tat  liberty to pursue other remedies, including those  which
\n\tmay  be available to them if any such Tribunal is set up  in
\n\tfuture.\t We want to make it clear that the question  whether
\n\tthere  is  or there is not enough material on  record  in  a
\n\tparticular  case  to  establish the basis  of  a  particular
\n\tdiscrimination is one of fact for the determination of which
\n\tno  hard and fast rules can, be laid down. Moreover, a\tdis-
\n\tcrimination, which involves the invocation of Article 14<\/a>, is
\n\tnot  necessary covered by Article 16.<\/a>  We do not propose  to
\n\tdiscuss\t here  the differences between Articles 14  and\t 16,
\n\tbecause\t we  think that, even the material  relied  upon  on
\n\tbehalf of the petitioners before us shows that Computers and
\n\tResearch  Assistants Grade   II are  classified\t separately.
\n\tThe validity of that classification cannot,
\n\t914<\/span>
\n\twe  think, be displaced by the kind of evidence relied\tupon
\n\ton  behalf of the petitioners.\tAnd, until that\t classifica-
\n\ttion  is shown to  be unjustified, no question of  violating
\n\tArticle 16<\/a> can arise.  We, therefore, leave the\t petitioners
\n\tto other means of redress if they still feel aggrieved.
\n\t    The\t result\t is that we dismiss the Writ  Petition,\t but
\n\tmake no order as to costs.\n<\/p>\n
\tS.R.\t\t\t\t\t      Petition\tdis-\n\tmissed.\n\t915<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Supreme Court of India Prabhat Kiran Maithani & Ors vs Union Of India & Anr on 3 February, 1977 Equivalent citations: 1977 AIR 1553, 1977 SCR (2) 911 Author: M H Beg Bench: Beg, M. Hameedullah (Cj) PETITIONER: PRABHAT KIRAN MAITHANI & ORS. Vs. RESPONDENT: UNION OF INDIA & ANR. DATE OF JUDGMENT03\/02\/1977 BENCH: BEG, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-268814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-supreme-court-of-india"],"yoast_head":"\nPrabhat Kiran Maithani & Ors vs Union Of India & Anr on 3 February, 1977 - Free Judgements of Supreme Court & High Court | Legal India<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/prabhat-kiran-maithani-ors-vs-union-of-india-anr-on-3-february-1977\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Prabhat Kiran Maithani & Ors vs Union Of India & Anr on 3 February, 1977 - 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