Hon’ble Dr. Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, C.J.—The Uttar Pradesh Recruitment of Dependents of Government Servants Dying-in-Harness Rules, 1974 (Dying-in-Harness Rules) have been framed under the proviso to Article 309 of the Constitution and regulate the grant of compassionate appointment to the members of the family of a Government servant who dies in harness. The Rules define the expression “family” to include, among others, “unmarried daughters and unmarried adopted daughters”. The Rules also bring sons and adopted sons within the ambit of a family. The eligibility of a son or adopted son is not conditioned by marital status. The challenge in these proceedings is to the stipulation that only an unmarried daughter falls within the definition of the expression “family”. As a consequence of the condition, a married daughter ceases to fall within the family of a deceased Government servant for the purpose of seeking compassionate appointment.

2. Rule 2 (c) of the Dying-in-Harness Rules defines the expression “family” in the following terms:

“2(c) “family” shall include the following relations of the deceased Government servant:

(i) Wife or husband;

(ii) Sons/adopted sons;

(iii) Unmarried daughters, unmarried adopted daughters, widowed daughters and widowed daughters-in-law;

(iv) Unmarried brothers, unmarried sisters and widowed mother dependent on the deceased Government servant, if the deceased Government servant was unmarried;

(v) aforementioned relations of such missing Government servant who has been declared as “dead” by the competent Court;

Provided that if a person belonging to any of the above mentioned relations of the deceased Government servant is not available or is found to be physically and mentally unfit and thus ineligible for employment in Government service, then only in such situation the word “family” shall also include the grandsons and the unmarried granddaughters of the deceased Government servant dependent on him.”

3. In exploring the nature of the constitutional challenge which has been addressed in these proceedings, it would at the outset be necessary to dwell briefly on the nature and purpose of compassionate appointment. The object and purpose of compassionate appointment is to provide ameliorative relief to the family of a Government servant who has died in harness. Compassionate appointment is an exception to the principle that there must be an equality of opportunity in matters of public employment under Article 16 of the Constitution. Equality of opportunity postulates a level playing field where all eligible persons are entitled to compete in an effort to secure public employment. The basis of the exception that is carved out by the Dying-in-Harness Rules is that the death of a wage earner while in the service of the State imposes severe financial hardship on the family faced with an untimely death. Compassionate appointment is intended to provide immediate financial support to such a family by stipulating that upon the death of its wage earner while in harness as a Government servant, another member of the family would be granted appointment. Compassionate appointment is not a reservation of a post in public employment but is in the nature of an enabling provision under which a member of the family of a deceased Government servant who has died while in harness can seek appointment based on financial dependency and need.

4. Rule 5 of the Dying-in-Harness Rules provides that such an appointment is contemplated to be given to a member of the family of a deceased Government servant who has died in harness where the spouse of the Government servant is not already employed with the Central or the State Governments or a Corporation owned by them. Moreover, a member of the family who is not already employed with the Central or State Governments or their Corporations can be given suitable employment in Government service in relaxation of the normal recruitment rules. Such an appointment can