The Supreme Court has rejected a set of review petitions challenging its August 22, 2025, ruling that mandated the Gujarat government to provide minimum pay scale benefits to contractual assistant professors in government engineering and polytechnic colleges. Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe stated that no evident errors justified altering the decision. The court emphasized that the August 2025 judgment, upholding “equal pay for equal work,” must be implemented for 18 Shah Samir batch employees and 391 V.C. Gohel batch employees.
The apex court, while addressing contempt petitions related to the issue, acknowledged senior advocate Balbir Singh’s assurance that the August 2025 verdict would be fully enforced for the specified employees. It was also decided that arrears would be disbursed with an 8% annual interest rate. The court concluded the contempt petitions with these directives, ensuring compliance with its earlier ruling on pay parity for contractual assistant professors in Gujarat.
In its previous judgment, the Supreme Court had criticized the Gujarat government for underpaying teachers on contract despite their significant contributions. The court stressed the importance of valuing educators, stating that they are crucial in shaping future generations. Expressing dismay over the meager Rs 30,000 monthly salary received by assistant professors, the court urged the state to address the issue promptly and align pay structures with the responsibilities these educators shoulder.
The court’s ruling highlighted the lack of distinction in duties between contractual assistant professors and their regularly appointed counterparts. It mandated that these professors receive the minimum pay scale applicable to regular assistant professors, inclusive of arrears with 8% interest dating back three years before the writ petitions were filed. Dr. Alakh Alok Srivastava represented the contractual assistant professors in the case before the Supreme Court.
