In Brief
The Supreme Court held that part-time postal workers engaged in rural areas to provide postal services are not entitled to gratuity under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972. These workers, typically drawn from village literates (schoolmasters, shopkeepers, landlords), maintain independent means of livelihood and engage with the postal department as a secondary, part-time occupation. The Court found they do not qualify as 'employees' under the Act's definition. The High Court's orders in both appeals were set aside and the appeals allowed, recognizing the distinct nature of such part-time, informal postal service arrangements in rural India.", <parameter name="cited_cases">[]
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