Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation

2026 Supreme(Online)(CAT) 3727

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL
Akhil Kumar Srivastava, Judicial Member, Mallika Arya, Administrative Member
Abdul Haque Sheikh – Appellant
Versus
Union of India – Respondent
Original Application No.200/762/2018

Advocates:
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Akash Choudhury
For the Respondents: N.K. Mishra

Government employees performing similar duties under the same Ministry are entitled to parity in cadre review benefits under Article 14 of the Constitution, prohibiting discriminatory state action without rational justification.

Headnote:(A) Constitution of India - Article 14 - Medical laboratory technical staff seeking cadre review/restructuring similar to those in other Central Government hospitals - Principle of equality and non-discrimination in employment.

(B)

Facts of the case:
The applicants, working as laboratory technical staff at the Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre (BMHRC), sought parity with laboratory staff of other Central Government hospitals who were granted cadre review and pay scale revision via an Office Memorandum. The respondents argued differences in recruitment rules and job requirements.

(C)

Findings of Court:
The court found that the applicants were subjected to discriminatory treatment as they were also under the same Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The court directed the respondents to process the cadre restructuring proposal as previously initiated by the department in 2019.

(D)

Issues: Whether the applicants are entitled to cadre restructuring/review akin to laboratory staff in other Central Government hospitals under the same Ministry. (E)

Ratio Decidendi: Article 14 of the Constitution prohibits discriminatory state action. When government employees performing similar duties under the same ministry are treated differently without rational justification, the principle of equality mandates that the benefit of cadre restructuring granted to one group should be extended or considered for the other. (F)

Result: Original Application allowed with directions for institutional review and final decision within specified timelines.

Table of Content
1. basis for claim of parity in cadre review benefits. (Para 1 , 1 , 2)
2. respondents' justification for denying cadre review based on recruitment rules. (Para 3 , 4)
3. application of article 14 to prevent discriminatory treatment. (Para 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10)
4. directive to implement cadre restructuring within a time-bound manner. (Para 11 , 12 , 13)

1. Abdul Haque Sheikh, S/o Shri Abdul Shakir, Occupation Lab

Technician Date of birth 2.1.1967, R/o LIG 41, Vivekanand Nagar,

HB Colony, Karond, Bhopal (MP). 462038.

2. Dr. Manju Tiwari, W/o Shri Vinod Tiwari, Occupation Lab

Technician Date of birth 30.2.1976, R/o E-56 Type IV, BMHRC,

Bhopal (MP). 462038.

3. Mrs. Tasneem Khan, W/o Dr. A.D. Khan, Occupation Lab

Technician Date of birth 15.10.1971, R/o Duplex MIG 80, Chitrakoot

Colony, Near Mittal College, Bhopal (MP). 462038.

4. Mohd. Asif Siddiqui, S/o Lt. M.A. Siddiqui, Date of birth 3.8.1984,

Occupation Lab Technician R/o H. No.71 B Sector, Bagh Dil Kush,

Raisen Road, Govindpura, Bhopal (MP). 462038.

5. Mrs. Nayan Kushwaha, W/o Shri Mukesh Kushwaha, Date of birth

4.11.1976, Occupation Lab Technician R/o 142, Old Ashoka Garden,

New Mansadevi Mandir, Bhopal (MP). 462038.

6. Smt. Rekha Agrawal, W/o Shri Deepak Agrawal, Date of birth

6.10.1969, Occupation Lab Technician R/o C-26, Type IV, BMHRC,

Bhopal (MP). 462038.

7. Mrs. Swapna Vivek Lawtawar, W/o Shri Vivek Lawtawar, Date of

birth 18.1.1974, Occupation Lab Technician R/o LIG 608, Phase V,

Part II, Near Dev Mata Hospital Housing Board Colony, Ayodhya

Nagar, Bhopal (MP). 462038.

8. Mrs. Vibha Sindhu Bhatia, W/o Shri Manoj Kumar Bhatia, Date of

birth 1.9.1967, Occupation Lab Technician R/o Chitrakoot Colony, H.

No.85, Near Mittal College, Karond, Bhopal (MP). 462038.

9. Manoj Kumar Bhatia, S/o Lt. Prakash Chandra Bhatia, Date of birth

8.7.1967, Occupation Lab Technician R/o Chitrakoot Colony, H.

No.85, Near Mittal College, Karond, Bhopal (MP).] 462038.

10. Mrs. Neeru Mehta, W/o Shri Jitendra Mehta, Date of birth

18.1.1974, Occupation Lab Supervisor Department of Pathology

BMHRC Bhopal 462038.

11. Mrs. Kahkasha Praveen, W/o Shri Masroor Ali Khan, Date of

birth 28.4.1973, Occupation Lab Supervisor R/o C-87, Type IV,

BMHRC Campus, Karond By Pass, Bhopal (MP). 462038.

12. Shri Shiv Kumar Singh Yadav, S/o Lt. R.N. Singh, Date of birth

11.3.1984, Occupation Lab Attendant R/o Room D44, BMHRC

Campus, Bhopal (MP). 462038.

13. Mrs. Ranjana Athnas, W/o Shri Francis Athnas, Date of birth

26.6.1970, Occupation Lab Technician R/o H. No.40, Chitrakoot

Colony, Near Mittal College, Opp. BMHRC, Bhopal (MP). 462038.

14. Smt. Veena Shrivastava, W/o Shri Arvind Shrivastava, Date of

birth 17.4.1973, Occupation Lab Technician R/o 119, Archana

Homes, Near Indus Park II, Ayodhya Nagar, Bhopal (MP). 462038.

15. Shri Narayan Singh, S/o Shri Prem Singh, Date of birth 15.7.1977,

Occupation Lab Attendant R/o D-18 Type V, BMHRC, Bhopal (MP).

462038.

16. Shri Ajay Singh Thakur, S/o Shri Nandram Singh, Date of birth

23.10.1975, Occupation Lab Technician (Microbiology) R/o Type-4,

C-82 BMHRC Campus, Raisen By-pass Road, Bhopal (MP). 462038.

17. Smt. Anita Dixit, W/o Shri Arun Nayak, Date of birth 1.5.1977,

Occupation Lab Technician R/o B-10, Elixir Garden, Near Jail Road,

Karond, Bhopal (MP). 462038.

18. Shri Gourav Sharma, S/o Shri Suresh Babu Sharma, Date of birth

20.4.1983, Occupation Lab Technician R/o B-7, Elixir Garden, Near

Jail Road, Karond, Bhopal (MP). 462038.

19. Shri Aril Raj Prakash, S/o Lt. Masheeh Prakash, Date of birth

18.10.1968, Occupation Lab Technician (Blood Bank) R/o C-1

Rishipuram Phase-3, Anand Nagar, Hathaikheda Road, Bhopal (MP).

462038.

20. Shri Rajendra Singh Rajpoot, S/o Shri Charan Singh Rajpoot,,

Date of birth 20.12.1981, Occupation Lab Technician (Blood Bank)

R/o H. No.283/84, New Chouksey Nagar, LNCT, Bhopal (MP –

462038.

21. Smt. Kalpana Agrawal, W/o Shri Snajeev Agrawal, Date of birth

11.5.1974, Occupation Lab Technician (Blood Bank), R/o C-21,

BMHRC Campus, Bhopa

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2026 Supreme(Online)(CAT) 3727

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNALAkhil Kumar Srivastava, Judicial Member, Mallika Arya, Administrative MemberAbdul Haque Sheikh – AppellantVersusUnion of India – RespondentOriginal Application No.200/762/2018

Government employees performing similar duties under the same Ministry are entitled to parity in cadre review benefits under Article 14 of the Constitution, prohibiting discriminatory state action without rational justification.

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL
Akhil Kumar Srivastava, Judicial Member, Mallika Arya, Administrative Member
Abdul Haque Sheikh – Appellant
Versus
Union of India – Respondent
Original Application No.200/762/2018