The Supreme Court has set aside the course adopted by a High Court in a long-pending contempt matter arising from lecturers’ salary claims in Uttar Pradesh, directing that the dispute be finally adjudicated instead of being repeatedly remanded for reconsideration. The ruling brings a 16-year litigation cycle closer to closure and calls out the growing judicial tendency to issue open-ended “consider” orders that prolong disputes without resolving rights.
The case stems from lecturers appointed in 1993 at Ranveer Rananjay Postgraduate College, Amethi, who sought regular salaries from the State after a 2000 government policy barred financial assistance to non-aided colleges. Successive writ petitions resulted in repeated directions to the authorities to “reconsider” their claims. Each time, the government rejected the demand, citing the policy ban and the self-financing nature of the posts.
After the High Court quashed rejection orders multiple times and again remitted the matter in July 2023, the lecturers initiated contempt proceedings alleging non-compliance. Even as fresh government orders were passed, the High Court continued to seek affidavits and ultimately listed the contempt case for framing of charges, triggering the present appeal.
The Top Court observed that there had been no “clear and categorical direction” from the High Court declaring the existence of a legal right or specifying the precise obligation of the State. It cautioned that routine directions to “consider” claims merely “throw the ball out of the Court” and are counterproductive. Emphasizing the need for decisiveness, the Bench stated, “When a claim of a right is legal and justified, relief must follow,” adding that courts must articulate compliance obligations with clarity so that the State must “either comply, appeal or face contempt.”
The Court permitted the lecturers to challenge the latest government order dated May 9, 2025, directed that the fresh writ be heard along with the contempt case, and instructed the High Court not to remand the matter again but to issue a final, reasoned verdict. The matter has been requested to be assigned for disposal by April 30, 2026.
Case Title: Mahendra Prasad Agarwal Vs. Arvind Kumar Singh & Ors.
Case No.: Civil Appeal No(S). Of 2026 [@ Slp (C) No. 17141 Of 2025]
Coram: Hon’ble Justice. Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha, Hon’ble Justice. Alok Aradhe
Advocate for the Petitioner: A.S.G. Vikramjit Banerjee, AOR. Samar Vijay Singh, Adv. Sabarni Som, Adv. Aman Dev Sharma, Adv. Pushkar Sharma, Adv. Vikramaditya Chauhan, Adv. Gaj Singh,
Advocate for the Respondent: AOR. Aditya Singh, Adv. Shubham Singh, Adv. Kamal Kishor, Adv. Vaseem, AOR. Anand Ranjan,
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