Supreme Court: Casual Workers Cannot be Denied Regularisation if Others Similarly Placed were Regularised

The Supreme Court held that regularisation cannot be denied to casual workers when other daily-wage workers in similar circumstances were regularised.

The Court observed that treating similarly situated employees differently amounts to discrimination and undermines the principle of equality.

It emphasised that the regularisation policy must be applied uniformly, and workers who have been performing duties for a long period cannot be denied regular status without a valid justification.

The Court’s order reinforces that administrative action must be fair, reasonable and consistent with established practice of regularising long-term casual labourers.

[Pawan Kumar & Ors. v. UOI & Ors.]