Supreme Court Denies Equal Benefits for Agricultural Research Staff

The Supreme Court has ruled that technical staff at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) are not entitled to the same benefits as scientists upon earning a Ph.D. degree. The decision overturns earlier judgments by the Delhi High Court and Central Administrative Tribunal. The verdict states that different employee groups governed by separate rules cannot claim identical benefits based on qualifications alone.

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has declared that technical staff within the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) are not eligible for the same benefits as their scientist counterparts upon acquiring a Ph.D. degree.

This decision overturns previous orders from the Delhi High Court and the Central Administrative Tribunal, which had directed ICAR to extend the 1999 scheme benefits to its technical staff.

The Supreme Court, led by Justices JK Maheshwari and Rajesh Bindal, stated that different sets of employees governed by distinct rules cannot demand identical benefits based merely on similar qualifications.

(With inputs from agencies.)