#State as model employer

Orissa High Court rules that contractual service from 1996 must be counted for pension eligibility under OCS Pension Rules, 1992, where the sanctioned post remained vacant and the State failed to recruit despite tribunal directives. The judgment entitles the employee to retrospective absorption and pension benefits, reinforcing the State's duty as a model employer.

Supreme Court reinforces that judicial directions for permanent regularisation of daily wage workers are binding on the state, mandating immediate creation of posts within four weeks. The ruling extends benefits to all similarly situated workers, framing regularisation as a constitutional obligation rather than a discretionary scheme.