Maria Rani J v. State of Kerala
Case brief
What is this about?
The High Court addressed writ petitions by teachers employed as cluster coordinators under SSA or included in a teacher's bank, who challenged a 2018 Government Order recalling previous benefits. The Court held that prior policy documents and circulars did not create unequivocal promises establishing legal rights to service parity with regular teachers. Consequently, the government's entitlement to revisit policy was recognized, and the impugned order was quashed with a direction to the authorities to reconsider the claim for benefits after proper hearing.
What did the court decide?
The impugned G.O.(MS)No.119/18/Gen.Edn dated 23.8.2018 is quashed. The Principal Secretary is directed to consider the claim for service benefits for the period worked as cluster coordinators within six months, after notice and opportunity of hearing.