Authority: Supreme Court of India

Order Date: 08 September 2026

Case Overview

  • Parties: Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) & Anr (appellant) vs Vishnu Kumar Badetiya (respondent) and other respondents (Pavan Kumar, Mohan Singh, etc.).
  • Nature: Special Leave Petitions (SLP) filed against the High Court of Delhi’s order dismissing earlier writ petitions.
  • Background: Advertisement for staff‑nurse positions issued in 2009; results declared in 2011. Applicants filed before the Tribunal in 2013 (Dinesh Mahawar) and 2016 (Vishnu Kumar Badetiya, Pavan Kumar, Mohan Singh). Tribunal delivered judgment in 2016.
  • Legal Issue: Whether seniority of the appointed staff nurses should be back‑dated to the original appointment year (2011) or fixed from the date of filing of their original applications.
  • Counsel’s Submissions: Ms. Swati Ghildiyal argued maintainability concerns and cited the Constitution Bench decision in Bir Singh vs. Delhi Jal Board (2018) as controlling precedent.

Final Outcome

  • The Court condoned the delay in filing and granted special leave.
  • The civil appeals are dismissed.
  • Seniority of the respondents will be fixed with effect from the date of filing of their respective original applications, not from the original appointment dates.
  • The State Government is directed to issue the revised seniority orders within three months from the date of this order (i.e., by early December 2026).
  • All pending applications, if any, shall stand disposed of.

Topics: Seniority Determination, Judicial Review of Recruitment