The Supreme Court of India has delivered a significant ruling on the long-standing pay disparity faced by contractual Assistant Professors in Gujarat. In the case of Shah Samir Bharatbhai & Others vs. State of Gujarat & Others, the Court upheld the principle of equal pay for equal work and directed that contractual Assistant Professors must be paid at least the minimum pay scale of regularly appointed Assistant Professors.
Background of the Case
The case emerged after a group of contractual Assistant Professors challenged the Gujarat government’s decision to pay them a fixed salary of only ₹30,000 per month, despite performing the same duties as their ad hoc and regular counterparts.
Earlier, multiple writ petitions were filed before the Gujarat High Court. The single judge had ordered parity of pay, but subsequent appeals created conflicting outcomes. While some Division Bench rulings recognized the minimum pay entitlement, others denied full parity. This inconsistency brought the matter before the Supreme Court.
Read also: Supreme Court Allows Victim’s Heir to Continue Appeal in 1992 Haridwar Murder Case
The Court expressed deep concern over the treatment of teachers, stressing that professors and lecturers are the intellectual backbone of the nation.
“It is not enough to merely recite ‘Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Gurudevo Maheshwarah’ in public functions. If we believe in this declaration, it must be reflected in how we treat our teachers,” the bench remarked.
The Court highlighted that of the 2,720 sanctioned teaching posts in Gujarat’s engineering and polytechnic colleges, only 923 were filled with regular appointments. The remaining posts were covered by ad hoc and contractual appointments, leaving many teachers underpaid for over a decade.
Read also: Supreme Court Clarifies Execution of Consumer Forum Orders in Palm Groves Case
The judges noted that contractual Assistant Professors were recruited through proper selection processes and performed identical duties to those of regular and ad hoc professors. Yet, while regular professors earned around ₹1.36 lakh per month and ad hoc professors earned ₹1.16 lakh, contractual faculty were stuck at ₹30,000 even in 2025.
This stark disparity, the Court held, was unjust and violated the principle of equality.
“There is no functional difference in their work. Hence, in our opinion, no discriminatory treatment ought to have been given by the State,” the Court ruled.
Read also: Bombay High Court Dismisses PIL Challenging MIDC’s Land Allotments to Educational Institutions
The Supreme Court allowed the appeals of the contractual Assistant Professors and passed the following key directions:
- Contractual Assistant Professors will be entitled to the minimum pay scale of regular Assistant Professors.
- Arrears will be calculated at 8% interest, payable from three years before the filing of their writ petitions.
- The Court urged the Gujarat government to rationalize the pay structure for teachers and treat them with dignity.
Case Title: Shah Samir Bharatbhai & Others vs. State of Gujarat & Others
Date of Judgment: 22 August 2025
