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2026:JHHC:2677- DB

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI

L.P.A. No. 313 of 2025

With

I.A. No. 4970 of 2025

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1. The State of Jhar khand through the Principal Secretary,

Department of Higher, Technical Education and Skill

Development, Government of Jharkhand, Ranchi

2. The Director, Higher Education, Department of Higher,

Technical Education and Skill Development, Government of

Jharkhand, Ranchi … … Appellants

Versus

1. Dr. Kala Nand Thakur, son of Late Parma Nand Thakur, resident

of Mohalla- Sonuwadangal, Resikpur, P.O., P.S. and District-

Dumka

2. Dr. Viveka Nand Singh, son of Sri Jai Krishna Prasad Singh,

resident of Mohalla Satya Nagar near Block Office, P.O.- Godda,

P.S.-Town Thana, District- Godda

3. Arvind Kumar Jha, son of Late Harish Chandra Jha, resident of

Village and P.O.- Sakri Gali, via- Deosangh, P.S. & District-

Deoghar

4. Kislai Sinha, son of Sri Shashibhushan Sinha, resident of

Ishaan Green Apartments, Flat No. 205, Shital Malik Road,

P.O., P.S. & District- Deoghar

5. Dr. Rahul Kumar Santosh, son of Late Jagdish Bhagat, C/o-

Lalit Narayan Bhagat at Barhait, P.O. & P.S.- Barhi, District-

Sahebganj

6. Siddhu Kanhu Murmu University, Dumka, through its Registrar

7. The Vice Chancellor, Siddhu Kanhu Murmu University, Dumka

8. Registrar, Siddhu Kanhu Murmu University, Dumka

…. … Respondents

CORAM: HON’BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE

HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJESH SHANKAR

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For the Appellants : Mr. Abhijeet Anand, A.C. to Sr.S.C.-I

Mr. Aditya Kumar, A.C. to Sr.S.C.-I

For the Resp. Nos. 1 to 5 : Mr. Rupesh Singh, Advocate

Mr. Sudhanshu Singh, Advocate

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Reserved on 29.01.2026 Pronounced on 03.02.2026

Per : Rajesh Shankar, J. :

1. The present appeal has been preferred against the order/judgment

dated 17.05.2024 passed by the learned Single Judge in W.P.(S) No.

4765 of 2018 whereby the writ petition filed by the writ petitioners

(respondent nos. 1 to 5 herein) has been allowed by quashing and

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setting aside the condition mentioned in Clause 1.3 of the Statute

dated 15.12.2022 and they have been held entitled for the monetary

benefits from their due date(s) of entitlement; be it by way of

promotion or otherwise, as per the UGC Regulations.

2. Since the present appeal is barred by limitation, it is appropriate to

first consider the application filed on behalf of the appellants seeking

condonation of delay.

I.A. No. 4970 of 2025

3. The present interlocutory application has been filed on behalf of the

appellants/applicants seeking condonation of delay of 303 days in

filing the present appeal.

4. Learned counsel for the applicants submits that after passing the

impugned judgment dated 17.05.2024, the file was put up

before the Deputy Director, Higher Education, Department of Higher

Technical Education and Skill Development, Government of

Jharkhand on 19.06.2024 for taking further steps in the matter, who

after making endorsement, forwarded the said file to the

Policy Section of the concerned department on 20.06.2024.

5. It is further submitted that the file pertaining to the present appeal

was returned to the Deputy Director, Higher Education, Department

of Higher Technical Education and Skill Development, Government

of Jharkhand on 25.06.2024 for taking further steps in the matter,

who then sent the said file to the Under Secretary for making

endorsement in order to forward the same to the departmental

retainer for preparing the grounds of appeal.

6. It is also submitted that the Under Secretary endorsed the said file

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to the legal retainer on 01.07.2024 who prepared the grounds of

appeal on 16.07.2024 and then the file was again forwarded to the

Deputy Director for getting opinion on the grounds of appeal.

Subsequently, the file was sent to the Under Secretary on

22.07.2024 for the said purpose, pursuant to which the said file was

forwarded to the Director, Higher Education, for making

endorsement, who thereafter sent the said file to the Principal

Secretary on 23.07.2024 in order to send the same to the office of

the Advocate General seek