In Brief
The Supreme Court resolved a dispute concerning whether Field Supervisors at Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology should be treated as Teachers with accompanying benefits. The Court held that a Field Supervisor post can be treated as equivalent to a Teacher post only through a formal declaration by the University with prior approval of the Board. The Court upheld an earlier High Court judgment favoring Upendra Nath Patra, finding that the Registrar's declaration dated 16th March 1979 was valid and competent. The Court rejected arguments that this declaration was limited to electoral purposes only, confirming that once declared a Teacher for any purpose, the status applies universally, entitling the respondents to all teacher benefits.
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