The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court disposed of the connected IGNOU daily-rated and contractual employees’ petitions by adopting the directions already issued by a Division Bench concerning similarly situated workers.
Judge / Bench — Justice M. A. Chowdhary
The Regional Director must forward their cases and service particulars, and the Board of Management must consider regularisation through a reasoned decision addressing long service, the nature of the work and applicable policy and practice. Until that decision, their engagement is protected against replacement by other daily-rated or contractual workers or an outsourcing agency. An adverse decision remains open to challenge. The outcome is a direction to consider and temporary continuity protection, rather than automatic regularisation, a declaration of permanent status or an independent grant of every claimed pay benefit.
Case — Javed Ahmad Bhat and others v. Union of India and others — with connected petitions · SWP 873/2014, SWP 1548/2014 and WP(C) 2870/2019 · 5 October 2026 · Srinagar wing
Advocates appearing — Petitioners in SWP873/2014, SWP1548/2014 and WP(C)2870/2019 — Mr R. A. Bhat, Advocate. Respondent 1 in each matter — Ms Yasmeen Jan, Advocate, vice Mr Tahir Majid Shamsi, DSGI. Respondents 2–6 in each matter — Mr Bilal Ahmad Malla, Advocate.