[2010] 3 S.C.R. 429

ASHOK KUMAR DAS & ORS.

UNIVERSITY OF BURDWAN & ORS.

(Civil Appeal No. 392 of 2004)

MARCH 16, 2010

[MARKANDEY KATJU AND A.K. PATNAIK, JJ.]

Burdwan University Act, 1981-s. 21(xiii)-Promotions to different grades of non-teaching staff-Resolution of the Execution Council of the University as regard criteria for C promotion-Challenge to-Direction by Division Bench of High Court to the University to send proposal in the Resolution to State Government for approval-Subsequently, approval of Resolution by State Government-On appeal, held: As per the wordings of s. 21(xiii), 'with the approval of D the State Government', Executive Council of the University could determine the terms and conditions of services of the staff and obtain approval of State Government subsequent/yin case, State Government did not grant approval subsequent to the Resolution, action taken on the basis thereof, would be E invalid-On facts, promotions to different grades of nontEiaching staff on the basis of the Resolution are valid since the Resolution was approved by State Government.

The promotions to different grades of non-teaching staff of the University were being done on the basis. of F seniority. On 26.06.1995, the Executive Council of the University resolved that the criteria of Seniority-cum- Efficiency as enunciated in the Government Order dated 17 .01.1985 would be followed for promotion. The appellants filed the writ petition challenging the G Resolution of the Executive Council of the University. The Resolution was set aside and the University was directed to re-frame the guidelines for promotion in accordance with the Government Order to give promotions to the 429 H

A candidates. The E>ivision Bench of the High Court directed the University to send the proposal in the said Resolution to the State Government for its approval and in case of approval, the University would undertake the exercise of promotion of their staff. The direction was B carried out and the State Government by its order dated

10.01.2002 approved the said Resolution. Hence the present appeal.

Dismissing the appeal, the Court

C HELD: The words used in s. 21 (xiii) of the Burdwan University Act, 1981 are not "with the permission of the State Government" nor "with the prior approval of the Stage Government", but "with the approval of the State Government". If the words used were "with the D permission of the State Government", then without the permission of the State Government the Executive Couqcil of the University could not determine the terms . and conditions of service of non-teaching staff. Similarly,

if words used were "with the prior. approval of the State E Government", the Executive Council of the University

could not determine the terms and conditions of service of the non-teaching staff without .first obtaining the· approval to the State Government. But since the words used are "with the approval of the State Government", the F xecutive Council of the University could determine the terms and conditions of service of non-teaching staff.

Similarly, if the words used were "with the prior approval of the State Government", the Executive Council of the University could 11ot determine the terms and conditions G . of service of the non-teaching staff without first obtaining

the approval of the State Government. But since the w.01d.!> use, A are "with the approval of the State

Goverf11Qent""~ :the Executive Council of the University could determine the terms and conditions of service of the non-teaching staff and obtain the approval of the H-

ASHOK KUMAR DAS & ORS. v. UNIVERSITY OF 431

BURDWAN & ORS.

State Government subsequently and in case the State A Government did not grant approval subsequently, any action taken on the basis of the deci.sion of the Executive Council of the University would be invalid and not c1therwise. Therefore, the promotions to different grades of non-teaching staff made by the University on the basis B c1f the principles laid down in the Resolution of the E:xecutive Council of the University adopted on. 26.06.1995 are valid as the Resolution has been approved . by the State Government on 10.10.2002. [Paras 10 and 11)

[436-F-H; 437-A-D] C

T.R. Kapur & Ors. v. State of Haryana & Ors. AIR 1987 SC 415; Prem Kumar Verma & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors.

(1998) 5 SCC 457; Union of India v. S.S. Uppal & Anr. (1996) 2 SCC 168; Ku/want Kumar Sood v. State of H.P. & Anr.

(2005) 10 SCC 670; High Court of Delhi & Anr. Etc. v. AK.

D Mahajan & Ors. (2009) 12 SCC 62; UP. Avas Evam Vikas Parishad & Anr. v. Friends Co-operative Housing Society Ltd.

6~ Anr. (1995) Supp (3) SCC 456; High Court of Judicature for Rajasthan v. P.P. Singh & Anr. (2003) 4 SCC 239, reffered

Black's Law Dictionary (Fifth Edition), referred to.

Case Law Reference:

AIR 1987 SC 415 Referred to.

Para 4 F

(1998) 5 sec 457 Referred to Para 4

(1996) 2 sec 168 Referred to Para 4

(2005) 1 o sec 670 Referred to Para 4 G '.

(2009) 12 sec 62 Referred to Para 4

(1995) Supp (3) sec 456 Referred to Para 6, 8, 9

(2003) 4 sec 239 Referred to Para 6, 9 H

A ·: CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 392

of 2004.

From the Judgment & Order dated 8.8.2002 of the High Court of Calcutta in Appeal being MAT No. 2604 of 2001.

Ranjan Mukherjee, Raja Chatterjee, Avik Chatterjee, • Sachin Das, G.S. Chatterjee for the Appellant.

Nagendra Rai, Azim H. Laskar, Monish Sen, Smarhar, Shantanu Sagar, Abhijit Sengupta, T.C. Sharma, Neelam c Sharma, Aasheem Chandra, Joydeep Mazumdar, Vinod Kumar, Chiraranjan for the Respondent.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

A.K. PATNAIK, J. 1. This is an appeal against the D judgment and order dated 08.08.2002 of the Division Bench of the High Court of Calcutta in MAT No.2604 of 2001 and CAN No.1624 of 2001 filed by some members of the nonteaching staff of the University of Burdwan [For short 'the University'].

2. The facts very briefly are that promotions to different grades of non-teaching staff of the Burdwan University were being done on the basis of seniority. On 26.06.1995, the Executive Council of the University considered the principle of promotion as enunciated in the Government Order dated F 17.10.1985 and resolved"ttiat criteria of 'Seniority-cum- Efficiency!. as enunciated in"'"the aforesaid Government Order dated 17.10.1985 will be followed for promotion to different grades of non-teaching staff of the University. The Executive Council of the University in its meeting on 26.06.1995 also G resolved the manner in which the efficiency of a candidate for promotion will be considered along with seniority for promotions . to difterent grades. For the first promotion, efficiency of the

employee was to be determined on the basis of recording in

is personal file and the report received from the Controlling H

Officer of the candidate; for tl'ie second promotion, 50% A weightage will be given to efficiency, out of which 25% would be allotted for work performance and 25% would be allotted to a written test for ascertaining the subject competence of the candidate and for the third promotion, the efficiency was to be determined on the basis of recording in the personal file and B the report of the Controlling Officer. The Resolution of the Executive Council of the University taken in its meeting on 26.06.1995 was to be implemented with immediate effect.

3. Aggrieved by the Resolution of the Executive Council C of the University, some of the appellants filed the Writ Petition being C.O. No.17139 (W) of 1995 and a learned Single Judge of the High Court of Calcutta allowed the writ petition in part and set aside the Resolution of the Executive Council of the University taken on 26.06.1995 and directed the University to re-frame its guidelines for promotion strictly in accordance with D the Government Order dated 17.10.1985 in the light of the. observations made in the judgment and to give promotion to the candidates on the basis of the Government Order dated 17.10.1985 after re-framing the guidelines.

4. The University challenged the judgment of the learned Single Judge before the Division Bench of the High Court of Calcutta and the Division Bench held in the impugned judgment and order that under Section 21 (xiii) of the Burdwan University Act, 1981 the Executive Council of the University was F empowered to determine, with the approval of the State Government, the terms and conditions of service of nonteaching staff of Colleges other than Government Colleges, but no approval of the State Government had been taken to the Resolution of the Executive Council of the University adopted G in its meeting held on 26.06.1995. By the impugned judgment and order, the Division Bench of the High Court of Calcutta directed the University to send the proposal in the Resolution of the Executive Council of the University adopted on 215.06.1995 to the State Government for its approval and further H

A directed that in case the State Government approves the

proposal, the University will undertake the exercise of promotion of their staff. Pursuant to the impugned judgment and order of the Division Bench, the proposal was sent to the State Government and the State Government by its order dated B 10.10.2002 has approved the Resolution of the Executive

Council of the University adopted on 26.06.1995.

5. The contention raised before us by the learned counsel for the appellants was .that the Re.solution of the Executive Council of the University adopted on 26.06.1995 will be C effective only from 10.10.2002 when the State Government approved tbe Resolution and will not apply to any promotions made prior to 10.10.2002 because under Section 21 (xiii) of the Burdwan University Act, 1981 the Executive Council of the University could deterrnine the terms and conditions of the D service of the non-teaching staff of the Colleges other than Government Colleges with the approval of the State Government and not otherwise. Relying on the decisions of this Court in T. R. Kapur & Ors. v. State of Haryana & Ors. [AIR 1987 SC 415], Prem Kumar Venna & Anr. v. Union of India E & Ors. [(1998) 5 SCC 457], Union of India v. S. S. Uppal & Anr. [(1996) 2 SCC 168], Ku/want Kumar Sood v. State of H.

P. & Anr. [(2005) 10 SCC 670] and High Court of Delhi & Anr., Etc. v. A. K. Mahajan & Ors. [(2009) 12 SCC 62], learned counsel for the appellants submitted that the Resolution of the F Executive Council of the University adopted on 26.06.1995 and approved by the State Government on 10.10.2002 cannot, therefore, apply to promotions to vacancies which have occurred prior to 10.10.2002. Learned counsel for the lntervenois supported the aforesaid stand of the appellants .

6. Learned counsel for the respondents Nos. 1 to 3, on the other hand, submitted that Section 21 (xiii) used the expression "approval of the State Government" and not "prior approval of the State Government" and it has been held by this Court in U.

P. Avas Evam Vikas Parishad & Anr. v. Friends Co-operative

Housing Society Ltd. & Anr. [(1995) Supp.(3) SCC 456] and A High Court of Judicature for Rajasthan v. P. P. Singh & Anr. [(2003) 4 SCC 239] that when an approval is required, an action holds good and only if it is disapproved it loses its force. He further submitted that promotions made on the basis of

Fesolution of the Executive .Council of the University adopted B on 26.06.1995, therefore, hold g6od and now that the State Government has approved the Resolution of the Executive.

Council of the University adopted on 26.06.1995 by order dated

10.10.2002, the promotions made on the basis of the Hesolution dated 26.06.1995 of the Executive Council of the c University hold good and cannot be set aside by this Court.

7. In Black's Law Dictionary (Fifth Edition), the word "approval" has been explained thus: "the act of confirming, ratifying, assenting, sanctioning, or consenting to some act or t11ing done by another." Hence, approval to an act or decision D can also be subsequent to the act or decision.

8. In U. P. Avas Evam Vikas Parishad (supra), this Court made the distinction between permission, prior approval and approval. Para 6 of the judgment is quoted hereinbelow: E

"6. This Court in Life Insurance Corpn. of India v. Escorts Ltd. [(1986) 1 sec 264], considering the distinction between "special permission" and "general permission", previous approval" or ''prior approval" in para 63 held that: "We are conscious that the word 'prior' or 'previous' may F

be implied if the contextual situation or the object and design of the legislation demands it, we find no such compelling circumstances justifying reading ny such implication into Section 29(1) of the Act." Ordinarily, the difference between approval and permission is that in the G first case the action holds good until it is disapproved, while in the other case it does not become effective until permission is obtained. But permission subsequently granted may validate the previous Act, it was stated in Lord Krishna Textiles Mills Ltd. v. Workmen [AIR 1961 SC H

860], that the Management need not obtain the previous consent before taking any action. The requirement that the Management must obtain approval was distinguished from the requirement that it must obtain permission, of which mention is made in Section 33(1 )."

9. Following the decision in U. P. Avas Evam Vikas Parishad (supra), this Court again held in High Court of Judicature for Rajasthan v. P. P. Singh & Ors. (supra) in para 40:

"When an approval is required, an action holds good and only if it is disapproved it loses its force. Only when a permission is required, the decision does not become effective till permission is obtained. (See U.P. Avas Evam Vikas Parishad v. Friends Coop. Housing Society Ltd.)."

10. Section 21 (xiii) of the Burdwan University Act, 1981 is quoted herein below:-

"21. Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Executive Council shall exercise the following powers and perform the following functions:

(i) to (xii) ....................... .

(xiii) to determine, with the approval of the State Government, the terms and conditions of service of Librarians and non-teaching staff."

The words used in Section 21 (xiii) are not "with the

permis~!on of the State Government" nor "with the prior approval of the State Government", but "with the approval of the State G Government". If the words used were "with the permission of the State Government", then without the permission of the State Government the Executive Council of the University could not determine the terms and conditions of service of non-teaching staff. Similarly, if the words used were "with the prior approval H of the State Government", the Executive Council of the

University could not determine the terms and conditions of A service of the non-teaching staff without first obtaining the approval of the State Government. But since the _words used are "with the approval of the State Government", the Executive -Council of the University could determine the terms and conditions of service of the non-teaching staff and obtain the B approval of the State Government subsequently and in case the State Government did not grant approval subsequently, any action taken on the basis of the decision of the Executive Council of the University would be invalid and not otherwise.

11. We, therefore, hold that promotions to different grades of non-teaching staff made by the University on the basis of the principles laid down in the Resolution of the Executive Council

c -

of the University adopted on 26.06.1995 are valid as the Resolution has been approved by the State Government on 10.10.2002. This appeal is without any merit aod is dismised D with no order as to costs.

N.J.

Appeal dismissed.