Notional Increment (as due on 1st July/1st January) – Supreme Court Judgement dt 20.02.2025 – Comprehensive Analysis in English & Hindi

Notional Increment (as due on 1st July/1st January) – Supreme Court Judgement dt 20.02.2025 – Comprehensive Analysis in English & Hindi

Comprehensive Analysis of the Supreme Court Order Dated February 20, 2025

On February 20, 2025, a significant order was issued concerning various miscellaneous applications related to pension entitlements for retired employees. This order follows an interim ruling made on September 6, 2024, which established key guidelines regarding the implementation of pension adjustments based on a previous judgment dated April 11, 2023.

Key Points of the Order:

1. Background:
   • The court had previously issued an interim order on September 6, 2024, which provided specific directions regarding the payment of enhanced pensions, including one increment, for retired employees.
   • The interim order had four clauses (a), (b), (c), and (d), which outlined the applicability of the enhanced pension based on the timing of filing petitions and the status of legal proceedings.
2. Modification of Clause (d):
   • The court modified Clause (d) of the September 6, 2024 order. The revised clause now states:
     • If a retired employee filed an application for intervention/impleadment, a writ petition, or an original application before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), High Courts, or the Supreme Court, the enhanced pension (including one increment) will be payable for three years prior to the month in which the application was filed.
   • However, this modified clause will not apply to employees who filed such applications after the judgment in “Union of India & Anr. v. M. Siddaraj”. In such cases, Clause (a) will apply, meaning the enhanced pension will be payable only from May 1, 2023.
3. Final Directions:
   • Clauses (a), (b), and (c) of the September 6, 2024 order are treated as final directions.
   • Clause (a): Enhanced pension (with one increment) is payable from May 1, 2023, for third parties.
   • Clause (b): For those who filed writ petitions and succeeded, the enhanced pension is payable as per the judgment.
   • Clause (c): The directions in Clause (b) do not apply if the judgment has not attained finality (e.g., if an appeal is pending).
4. Non-Recovery of Excess Payments:
   • If any excess payment, including arrears, has already been made, such amounts will not be recovered.
5. Remedies for Non-Compliance:
   • If any person is aggrieved by non-compliance with the court’s directions, they may approach the concerned authorities or the Administrative Tribunal/High Court as per law.
6. Disposal of Pending Applications:
   • All pending applications, including intervention/impleadment applications, are disposed of in terms of this order.
7. Contempt Petitions:
   • The contempt petitions (Diary Nos. 38437/2023, 38438/2023, 11336/2024, and 20636/2024) are also disposed of.
   • The petitioners are granted liberty to pursue appropriate remedies if necessary.
   • The respondents (likely government authorities) are directed to examine the cases of the petitioners/applicants in light of this order and comply with it expeditiously.

Summary:

This order finalizes the directions related to the payment of enhanced pensions for retired employees, modifies the applicability of the enhanced pension for certain cases, and ensures that no excess payments will be recovered. It also disposes of all pending applications and contempt petitions, providing clarity on the legal remedies available to aggrieved parties.

In Hindi

माननीय उच्‍चतम न्‍यायालय के 20 फरवरी, 2025 की आदेश का व्यापक विश्लेषण

20 फरवरी, 2025 को एक महत्वपूर्ण आदेश जारी किया गया जो सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारियों के पेंशन अधिकारों से संबंधित विभिन्न विविध आवेदनों पर केंद्रित है। यह आदेश 6 सितंबर, 2024 को दिए गए एक अंतरिम निर्णय के बाद आया है, जिसने अप्रैल 11, 2023 की पूर्ववर्ती फैसले के आधार पर पेंशन समायोजनों के कार्यान्वयन के लिए मुख्य दिशानिर्देश स्थापित किए थे।

आदेश के मुख्य बिंदु:

1. पृष्ठभूमि:
   • न्यायालय ने पहले 6 सितंबर, 2024 को एक अंतरिम आदेश जारी किया था, जिसमें सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारियों के लिए एक वेतन वृद्धि सहित बढ़ी हुई पेंशन के भुगतान के संबंध में विशेष निर्देश दिए गए थे।
   • अंतरिम आदेश में चार खंड (a), (b), (c), और (d) थे, जिनमें याचिकाएं दायर करने के समय और कानूनी कार्यवाही की स्थिति के आधार पर बढ़ी हुई पेंशन की प्रयोज्यता को रेखांकित किया गया था।
2. खंड (d) में संशोधन:
   • न्यायालय ने 6 सितंबर, 2024 के आदेश के खंड (d) में संशोधन किया। संशोधित खंड अब इस प्रकार है:
     • यदि किसी सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारी ने केंद्रीय प्रशासनिक ट्रिब्यूनल (CAT), उच्च न्यायालयों, या सर्वोच्च न्यायालय में हस्तक्षेप/शामिल करने के लिए आवेदन, रिट याचिका, या मूल आवेदन दायर किया है, तो बढ़ी हुई पेंशन (एक वेतन वृद्धि सहित) उस आवेदन दायर किए जाने के महीने से तीन वर्ष पूर्व की अवधि के लिए देय होगी।
   • हालांकि, यह संशोधित खंड उन कर्मचारियों पर लागू नहीं होगा, जिन्होंने “भारत संघ एवं अन्य बनाम एम. सिद्दाराज” के निर्णय के बाद ऐसे आवेदन दायर किए हैं। ऐसे मामलों में, खंड (a) लागू होगा, जिसका अर्थ है कि बढ़ी हुई पेंशन केवल 1 मई, 2023 से देय होगी।
3. अंतिम निर्देश:
   • 6 सितंबर, 2024 के आदेश के खंड (a), (b), और (c) को अंतिम निर्देश माना जाएगा।
   • खंड (a): तीसरे पक्षों के लिए बढ़ी हुई पेंशन (एक वेतन वृद्धि सहित) 1 मई, 2023 से देय होगी।
   • खंड (b): जिन्होंने रिट याचिकाएं दायर कीं और सफल हुए, उनके लिए बढ़ी हुई पेंशन निर्णय के अनुसार देय होगी।
   • खंड (c): यदि निर्णय अंतिम नहीं हुआ है (जैसे, यदि अपील लंबित है), तो खंड (b) के निर्देश लागू नहीं होंगे।
4. अधिक भुगतान की वसूली नहीं:
   • यदि कोई अधिक भुगतान, जिसमें बकाया राशि शामिल है, पहले ही कर दिया गया है, तो ऐसी राशि वसूली नहीं की जाएगी।
5. अनुपालन न होने पर उपाय:
   • यदि कोई व्यक्ति न्यायालय के निर्देशों के अनुपालन न होने से पीड़ित है, तो वह संबंधित अधिकारियों या प्रशासनिक ट्रिब्यूनल/उच्च न्यायालय से कानून के अनुसार संपर्क कर सकता है।
6. लंबित आवेदनों का निपटान:
   • सभी लंबित आवेदन, जिनमें हस्तक्षेप/शामिल करने के आवेदन शामिल हैं, इस आदेश के अनुसार निपटाए गए हैं।
7. अवमानना याचिकाएं:
   • अवमानना याचिकाएं (डायरी संख्या 38437/2023, 38438/2023, 11336/2024, और 20636/2024) भी निपटा दी गई हैं।
   • याचिकाकर्ताओं को यदि आवश्यक हो तो उचित उपाय करने की स्वतंत्रता दी गई है।
   • प्रतिवादियों (संभवतः सरकारी अधिकारियों) को याचिकाकर्ताओं/आवेदकों के मामलों की इस आदेश के आलोक में जांच करने और इसका शीघ्र अनुपालन करने का निर्देश दिया गया है।

सारांश:

यह आदेश सेवानिवृत्त कर्मचारियों के लिए बढ़ी हुई पेंशन के भुगतान से संबंधित निर्देशों को अंतिम रूप देता है, कुछ मामलों के लिए बढ़ी हुई पेंशन की प्रयोज्यता में संशोधन करता है, और यह सुनिश्चित करता है कि किसी भी अधिक भुगतान की वसूली नहीं की जाएगी। यह सभी लंबित आवेदनों और अवमानना याचिकाओं का निपटान करता है, और पीड़ित पक्षों के लिए उपलब्ध कानूनी उपायों पर स्पष्टता प्रदान करता है।

***

Text reproduced of Judgement

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATION DIARY NO. 2400 OF 2024
IN
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 3933 OF 2023

UNION OF INDIA & ANR. …..

APPLICANT(S)/
APPELLANT(S)
VERSUS

M. SIDDARAJ …..

NON-APPLICANT(S)/
RESPONDENT(S)

with
MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATION DIARY NO. 35783 OF 2024
IN
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 3933 OF 2023

MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATION DIARY NO. 35785 OF 2024
IN
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 3933 OF 2023

MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATION DIARY NO. 35786 OF 2024
IN
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 3933 OF 2023

CONTEMPT PETITION (CIVIL) No. /2025
(Diary No. 38437/2023)
IN
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 3933 OF 2023

CONTEMPT PETITION (CIVIL) No. /2025
(Diary No. 38438/2023)
IN
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 3933 OF 2023

CONTEMPT PETITION (CIVIL) No. /2025
(Diary No. 11336/2024)
IN
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 3933 OF 2023
and

CONTEMPT PETITION (CIVIL) No. /2025
(Diary No. 20636/2024)
IN
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 3933 OF 2023

O R D E R  dated FEBRUARY 20, 2025. 

Miscellaneous Application Diary Nos. 2400/2024, 35783/2024, 35785/2024 and 35786/2024

Delay condoned.

We had passed the following interim order dated 06.09.2024, the operative portion of which reads as under:

“(a) The judgment dated 11.04.2023 will be given effect to in case of third parties from the date of the judgment, that is, the pension by taking into account one increment will be payable on and after 01.05.2023. Enhanced pension for the period prior to 31.04.2023 will not be paid.

(b) For persons who have filed writ petitions and succeeded, the directions given in the said judgment will operate as res judicata, and accordingly, an enhanced pension by taking one increment would have to be paid.

(c) The direction in (b) will not apply, where the judgment has not attained finality, and cases where an appeal has been preferred, or if filed, is entertained by the appellate court.

(d) In case any retired employee has filed any application for intervention/impleadment in Civil Appeal No. 3933/2023 or any other writ petition and a beneficial order has been passed, the enhanced pension by including one increment will be payable from the month in which the application for intervention/ impleadment was filed.”

We are inclined to dispose of the present miscellaneous applications directing that Clauses (a), (b) and (c) of the order dated 06.09.2024 will be treated as final directions. We are, however, of the opinion that Clause (d) of the order dated 06.09.2024 requires modification which shall now read as under:

“(d) In case any retired employee filed an application for intervention/impleadment/writ petition/original application before the Central Administrative Tribunal/High Courts/this Court, the enhanced pension by including one increment will be payable for the period of three years prior to the month in which the application for intervention/ impleadment/ writ petition/ original application was filed.”

Further, clause (d) will not apply to the retired government employee who filed a writ petition/original application or an application for intervention before the Central Administrative Tribunal/High Courts/this Court after the judgment in “Union of India & Anr. v. M. Siddaraj”1, as in such cases, clause (a) will apply.

Recording the aforesaid, the miscellaneous applications are disposed of.

We, further, clarify that in case any excess payment has already been made, including arrears, such amount paid will not be recovered.

It will be open to any person aggrieved by non-compliance with the directions and the clarification of this Court, in the present order, to approach the concerned authorities in the first instance and, if required, the Administrative Tribunal or High Court, as per law.

Pending applications including all intervention/impleadment applications shall stand disposed of in terms of this order.

Contempt Petition (Civil) Diary Nos. 38437/2023, 38438/2023, 11336/2024 and 20636/2024

In view of the order passed today in the connected matters, that is, M.A. Diary No. 2400 OF 2024 and other connected applications, the present contempt petitions will be treated as disposed of with liberty to the petitioners to take recourse to appropriate remedies, if required and necessary, as indicated supra. It goes without saying that the respondents shall examine the cases of the petitioners/ applicants in terms of the order passed today and comply with the same expeditiously. Pending application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of.

…………….CJI.
(SANJIV KHANNA)
………………J.
(SANJAY KUMAR)

NEW DELHI;
FEBRUARY 20, 2025.