#Seniority in Service

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that contractual Ayush employees must retain their seniority when transferred before completing three years of service, as per Rule IV(C) of the MP Ayush Rules. This protects them from being treated as fresh appointees, ensuring continuity of service benefits and preventing arbitrary administrative transfers that undermine career progression.

Candidates appointed after an unlawful delay caused by the state’s failure to appoint higher-merit candidates are entitled to notional seniority and pay fixation from the date their lower-merit counterparts were appointed. This upholds natural justice and prevents penalizing applicants for administrative failures beyond their control, setting a critical precedent for teacher and public service appointments across Rajasthan.

Chhattisgarh High Court rules that seniority in service must be calculated from initial appointment date, not transfer date, ensuring fairness under Articles 14 and 16.