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Reena Kumari & Ors. v. Praveer Kumar & Ors.

Civil Appeal · 2026 INSC 642Decided 27 May 2026
C.A. No.-008463-008465 - 2026
Justice J.K. Maheshwari · Justice Atul S. Chandurkar

Background

Women who had worked for years as Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) on contract sought regular appointment as Basic Health Workers (Female) in Uttar Pradesh. In 2013, the Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench) had directed the State to consider them for regular appointment with relaxed qualification norms, but the State failed to fully comply for over a decade, leading to review petitions, contempt proceedings, and further appeals reaching the Supreme Court.

Decision Breakdown

The Supreme Court found that the State had, though belatedly, now substantively complied by issuing appointment orders, and set aside the High Court's order dismissing the contempt petitions. It directed the appellants to join duty promptly and the State to facilitate this without further hurdles, while sharply criticizing the State for taking thirteen years to implement a clear judicial direction. The Court invoked the principle that contempt power exists to secure compliance, not to punish once compliance is achieved, and allowed the appeals with a symbolic cost of Rs. 1,00,000 payable to the State Legal Services Authority.

Lesson Learnt

Courts view prolonged institutional non-compliance with judicial orders as a serious matter, especially where it costs ordinary employees years of seniority and livelihood; the State, as a "model employer," is expected to honour court directions promptly rather than forcing citizens into decade-long litigation.

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

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