Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 12: A group of contractual lecturers working in various campuses and departments of the University of Jammu has alleged continuous harassment, non-compliance of judicial orders and prolonged victimisation despite securing favourable judgments from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, and finally the Supreme Court of India.
The petitioners had approached the CAT after the University issued Advertisement Notification dated 01.04.2025 for fresh contractual engagements against the very posts on which they had already been serving continuously for years. According to the petitioners, many of them had been serving since 2019 in various departments across different campuses of JU.
The CAT Jammu Bench pronounced judgment on 01.09.2025 in favour of the contractual lecturers and observed that one set of contractual employees cannot legally be replaced by another similar arrangement. The Tribunal clearly held that the University’s action of replacing experienced contractual teachers through another temporary arrangement was arbitrary and against settled law.
JU challenged the CAT judgment before the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh through multiple writ petitions. However, the High Court upheld the legal protection available to contractual faculty and categorically observed that contractual or academic arrangement appointees cannot be replaced by another similar arrangement every academic session. The Court further directed that if temporary faculty is required, preference should first be given to those teachers who have already gained valuable teaching experience through earlier service.
The University subsequently approached the Supreme Court of India by filing Special Leave Petitions. The Supreme Court, while hearing SLP (Civil) Diary No. 19774/2026, dismissed that SPL filled by the petitioner (i.e. University of Jammu) on 08.05.2026 and refused to interfere with the High Court judgment.
However, despite repeated victories before constitutional courts, the petitioners allege that they continue to face uncertainty, humiliation and severe financial distress due to non-implementation of court directions. Many lecturers have children, elderly parents and families dependent upon their modest contractual salaries.
The lecturers said that whatever savings they had secured for the future of their children and families have now been exhausted on court fees, legal expenses and repeated travel for hearings before different courts.
The aggrieved lecturers have appealed to the Lt Governor’s administration and the present Government to intervene immediately and ensure implementation of the judicial orders in letter and spirit for restoration of their services.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel