Real judgements, distilled
Court judgements broken down into the case type, how the decision played out, and the lesson worth remembering, with the full judgement available as a PDF.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1094
An older qualification must still satisfy the eligibility rules governing the appointment sought. Here, the certificate's early date did not secure reinstatement, and rejection of eligibility should not be confused with a conclusive finding that the certificate was forged.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1095
A party benefiting from a conditional stay must meet its deposit requirement or face enforcement. The additional ₹15 crore deposit secures the pending dispute; it does not settle the land's final compensation or amount to an immediate payment to the landowners.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1093
An alleged attempt to kill does not become a lesser offence simply because the victim avoided a fatal injury. Restoring this charge means the accusation must be tried; it does not establish that the accused is guilty.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1090
For the assessment in this case, assistance reducing ordinary manufacturing costs was taxable even though the government wanted to encourage industry. The purpose and actual operation of the particular subsidy mattered more than its general development label.
Criminal Appeal · 2026 INSC 1091
Proof that someone caused a serious injury does not by itself prove the additional ingredients of robbery. A court can substitute a lesser offence supported by the evidence; the sentencing reduction here depended on Appa's particular circumstances.
Special Leave Petition (Civil) · 2026 INSC 1092
Someone challenging an election must ensure that the personal-presentation requirement is met and can be proved. Merely entering the court building does not establish compliance, and a filing defect can end the challenge before the election allegations are examined.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1088
An employee who retires on 30 June may be entitled to the increment that falls due on 1 July after completing a year of service. Authorities that delay paying the amounts due must pay interest after the deadline set by the court.
Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 1089
Recruitment must follow the qualifications stated in the advertisement and the governing Recruitment Rules. A court will not override a merit-based eligibility decision made under those rules merely because the candidate concerned was higher in the written test.
Writ Petition (Criminal) · 2026:DHC:8797
A person who occupied property only because of employment has no independent right to remain once the employment and decree end. Even when a petition fails, courts can make practical arrangements to let a person recover personal belongings.
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Log in to see moreThe appellants were promoted to the post of Professor in the Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, under the Career Advancement Scheme. A rival faculty member (Respondent No. 1) challenged these promotions before the Allahabad High Court, arguing the appellants lacked the Ph.D. qualification required under UGC Regulations. The High Court agreed, set aside the promotions, and ordered the appellants reverted from the post of Professor, without examining other objections the challenger had also raised. The appellants, along with Aligarh Muslim University and another affected teacher, appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court held that the High Court was wrong to require a Ph.D. for promotion of medical college faculty: UGC Regulations themselves carve out faculty of medicine, directing that their qualifications be governed instead by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Medical Council of India (MCI) norms, which prescribe MD/MS rather than a Ph.D. The Court noted the UGC itself had initially given incorrect information on this point to the High Court before filing a corrective affidavit. Having resolved this specific legal question in the appellants' favour, the Court set aside the High Court's judgment and remanded the matter back to the High Court to decide the other objections that Respondent No. 1 had raised but which the High Court had never reached. The connected appeals by the University and the other affected teacher were disposed of on the same terms.
For promotion/appointment qualification disputes in specialised fields like medicine, the generally applicable UGC Regulations give way to the specific regulations of the relevant statutory council (here, the Medical Council of India): a Ph.D. requirement meant for general university faculty cannot be mechanically applied to medical college teachers.
