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The State of Uttar Pradesh & Ors. vs. Rajmati Singh

Civil Appeal · 2022 INSC 1261Decided 7 Dec 2022
Civil Appeal No. 9329 of 2022
Surya Kant · J.K. Maheshwari

Background

Rajmati Singh was appointed an untrained assistant teacher in a UP government school in 1971 but was relieved in 1973 to complete a mandatory training course; she was never allowed to resume duty after 1974 because she produced a different (B.Ed) qualification instead. She made repeated representations over the following decades but never went to a court or tribunal. In 2009, after filing a complaint under the Right to Information Act, the State Information Commission directed the education department to "communicate" its decision on her old representations; a follow-up order in 2014 actually rejected her claim for the first time. She then went to the State Tribunal, which dismissed her case as time-barred, but the Allahabad High Court reversed this and ordered her reinstated with full back pay for over 40 years.

Decision Breakdown

The Supreme Court held that the High Court was wrong. Rajmati Singh's service effectively ended in 1974, and she sat on her rights for over 33 years without approaching any court or tribunal: mere repeated representations do not keep a stale claim alive, and an Information Commission (a body with no authority over service disputes) directing a reply does not revive a dead claim. Relying on precedents including C. Jacob vs. Director of Geology and Mining and Union of India vs. Tarsem Singh, the Court held her claim was hopelessly time-barred and the High Court erred in ignoring the law on delay and limitation. However, noting the State's own prolonged inaction and silence also contributed to raising false hope in her, the Court did not leave her with nothing. It set aside the reinstatement and back-wages order but directed the State to pay her a one-time lump-sum compensation of Rs. 5,00,000 within two months.

Lesson Learnt

A person who believes they were wrongly denied their job must approach a court or tribunal within a reasonable time, writing repeated letters/representations for decades, without more, does not keep a legal claim alive, and courts will not award full reinstatement and back pay after such long, unexplained delay.

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

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