Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 16: The Supreme Court of India on Thursday declined to entertain a plea filed by a group of ex-servicemen challenging the validity of existing pay-fixation rules, which they alleged unfairly disadvantage Army veterans joining civil services after retirement.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, however, permitted lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay to submit a representation before the concerned authorities, directing them to take a decision at the earliest.

The bench further observed that if the petitioners remain dissatisfied, they are at liberty to approach the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) for redressal of their grievances.

The plea, led by petitioner Baidya Nath Choudhary and five others, challenged Rule 8 of the Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2016, along with a Department of Personnel and Training memorandum dated May 1, 2017.

The petitioners, all former Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBORs) now employed in various government departments including the Income Tax Department and the Food Corporation of India, argued that the current framework forces them to start at the minimum pay level in their new posts.

They contended that such “mechanical fixation” ignores their years of military service, experience, and last-drawn salary in the armed forces, resulting in a financially disadvantageous position compared to their previous service.

The plea also alleged “hostile discrimination,” pointing out that while some public sector banks extend pay protection to re-employed veterans, similar benefits are not provided in other government departments. It further argued that equating veterans with 15–20 years of service to fresh recruits violates Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law.