The Supreme Court has dismissed a batch of review petitions challenging its 22 August 2025 judgment, which directed the Gujarat government to grant minimum pay scale benefits to contractual assistant professors employed in government engineering and polytechnic colleges. The order, passed on 4 May by a bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, firmly closes the door on any attempt to revisit the landmark ruling.

What the Court Ruled

The bench found "no error apparent on the face of the record" that would warrant interference with the earlier verdict. "Having perused the review petitions, we find that there is no error apparent on the face of the record. No case for review under Order XLVII Rule 1 of the Supreme Court Rules 2013 has been established," the bench stated in its order.

The dismissal of the review petitions means the August 2025 judgment — which upheld the principle of "equal pay for equal work" — stands as the final word on the matter.

Implementation Assured for Over 400 Employees

While disposing of contempt petitions arising from the same matter, the apex court recorded a statement by senior advocate Balbir Singh that the August 2025 judgment would be implemented "in letter and spirit" for two distinct groups: 18 employees belonging to the Shah Samir batch and 391 employees belonging to the V.C. Gohel batch. The court further directed that arrears would be paid with interest at 8 per cent per annum.

Background: A Decade of Underpayment

The original August 2025 judgment had drawn sharp attention to the working conditions of contractual faculty in Gujarat's government-run technical institutions. The Supreme Court had expressed deep concern that several contractual assistant professors were drawing a monthly salary of merely ₹30,000 despite performing duties identical to those of regular and ad hoc faculty members.

"It is disturbing that assistant professors are getting monthly emoluments of ₹30,000. It is high time that the state takes up the issue and rationalises the pay structure on the basis of the functions that they perform," the court had remarked. The bench had also found "no material whatsoever drawing out a distinction between the duties and functions performed by them and that of their colleagues appointed regularly or on an ad hoc basis."

The Court's Broader Message on Teachers' Dignity

Notably, the original ruling had gone beyond legal technicalities to make a pointed cultural observation. "Academicians, lecturers and professors are the intellectual backbone of any nation, as they dedicate their lives to shaping the minds and character of future generations," the judgment had stated. The bench had also invoked the traditional reverence for teachers in Indian culture, noting that reciting Gurubramha Gururvishnu Gurdevo Maheshwarah at public functions must translate into tangible respect for teachers in practice.

The petitioners — contractual assistant professors — were represented before the apex court by counsel Dr Alakh Alok Srivastava. Allowing the original appeals in part, the court had directed that minimum pay scale benefits be granted along with arrears carrying 8 per cent interest from three years preceding the filing of the writ petitions.

What Happens Next

With the review petitions dismissed and contempt proceedings disposed of on the strength of the government's assurance, the focus now shifts entirely to implementation. The Gujarat government is expected to process arrears and revised pay structures for the combined cohort of over 409 contractual faculty members. Any failure to comply could invite fresh contempt proceedings before the apex court.