J U D G M E N T

Dr. S. Muralidhar, J.:

1. The Secretary, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) (Petitioner No.1), the Secretary, Department of Agricultural and Research and Education (DARE) (Petitioner No.2), the Director, ICAR (Petitioner No.3) and the Secretary, Department of Expenditure (DOE), Ministry of Finance (MOF), Government of India (Petitioner No.4) have jointly filed this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India against the IARI Stenographer‟s Welfare Association (Respondent No.1) and six private Respondents each of whom were working as Private Secretaries (PSs) at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Headquarters at Pusa in New Delhi challenging an order dated 1st July, 2014 passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Principal Bench, New Delhi in OA No.

3763/2012.

2. By the impugned order the CAT disposed of the aforementioned application filed by the Respondents No.1 to 7 and directed the Petitioners to consider their claim for grant of grade pay of Rs. 4600/- and 4800/- in Pay Band-II (PB-II) and Rs. 5400/- in PB-III.

Background facts

3. The background facts are that the ICAR is an autonomous organisation wholly funded by the