The Tripura High Court has held that a contractual university employee's nearly 15 years of continuous service cannot be disregarded merely on account of the contractual label attached to her initial appointment, and directed regularisation of her services.

The Court observed that the appellant's role as Lecturer and subsequently as Assistant Placement Officer was essential and indistinguishable from that of regular employees, and that denial of regularisation after such prolonged service amounted to manifest injustice.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice Biswajit Palit remarked that: “Her sustained contribution over almost 15 years … warrants equitable treatment and regularization of her services. Denial of this benefit … amounts to manifest injustice and must be rectified.”

Background:

The appellant was appointed as a contractual Lecturer in Tripura University's BBA Programme in February 2009 pursuant to a 2008 advertisement and continued in the post through periodic extensions for nearly seven years.

In February 2016, the University re-designated her as an Assistant Placement Officer, which she repeatedly challenged. Despite continuing in service, her salary was stopped from January 2022 and she was subsequently treated as a daily-wage worker at ₹1,200 per working day.

She approached the High Court seeking restoration of her status and regularisation, but the Single Judge dismissed her plea, following which she filed the present writ appeal.

The Court held that the appellant's appointment was substantive in character, observing that she had been selected through an interview process and had continuously performed essential duties for several years despite being labelled a contractual employee.

It held that the University wrongly re-designated her as Assistant Placement Officer in 2016, as she possessed the requisite qualifications and no valid reason was established for the change.

The Court set aside the 2022 order reducing her remuneration to ₹1,200 per working day, finding that it was passed without notice or hearing and was therefore arbitrary, illegal and violative of Article 14.

Rejecting the University's reliance on Uma Devi, the Court held that her almost 15 years of continuous service, public selection process and performance of duties indistinguishable from regular employees warranted regularisation.

The Court accordingly directed the University to reinstate and regularise her as Assistant Placement Officer, grant the applicable regular pay scale and count her service from February 4, 2009 for pension and other retirement benefits.

Case Name: Smti.Jayanti Bhattacharjee v/s The Tripura University & Ors.

Case No.: WA No.60 of 2024

Date of Decision: 17.09.2026

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