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Bhola Nath v. The State of Jharkhand & Ors.

with connected appeals · 2026 INSC 99Decided 30 Jan 2026
with connected appeals
Justice Vikram Nath · Justice Sandeep Mehta

Background

Junior Engineers hired on repeatedly-renewed one-year contracts against sanctioned posts for roughly a decade were abruptly denied further renewal without explanation.

Decision Breakdown

The Supreme Court held the State, as a "model employer," cannot keep employees on contractual status for a decade against sanctioned posts and then discard them without a reasoned order: this was "manifestly arbitrary." Since they were selected through a proper rules-based process, they were entitled to regularisation, which the Court ordered.

Lesson Learnt

A government employer cannot keep an employee on repeatedly-renewed "temporary" status for years against a permanent sanctioned post and then walk away without reasons.

Official source (sci.gov.in)View Judgment (PDF)

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