In Brief
The Union of India challenged a High Court judgment upholding a tribunal's order quashing amended recruitment rules that equated the posts of Principal, Grade 'A' (Senior Scale) and Joint Chief Inspector of Factories (JCIF) in the Puducherry Labour Department. The tribunal and High Court found the posts had differing duties and responsibilities, citing precedents on post equivalence. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, holding that questions of post structure, nomenclature, and service conditions are policy matters within the exclusive discretion of the State. Since the UPSC concurred after deliberation and the posts shared identical feeder cadres and educational qualifications, the statutory rule-making could not be quashed merely because the tribunal disagreed with the substantive policy decision.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.