Public advertisement enough, says court
Jaipur, India – In a landmark ruling, the Rajasthan High Court has extended the benefits of the Rajasthan Contractual Hiring to Civil Posts Rules 2022 to employees hired through placement agencies.
A division bench of Justice Munnuri Laxman and Justice Bipin Gupta stated that if an employee meets all conditions under Rule 3 – including appointment through a public advertisement – it makes no difference whether the hiring was done directly by the government or via an agency.
Government’s stand rejected
The state had argued that only those hired through direct government recruitment would qualify for the benefits of the 2022 rules. However, the court dismissed this claim, clarifying that the rules make no distinction between direct and indirect contractual appointments.
Supreme Court precedent cited
The bench cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in Mangalore Ganesh Beedi Works vs. Union of India, noting that welfare laws impose obligations on the principal employer regardless of whether the employee was appointed directly or via contractors.
Thousands of workers to gain
The decision, delivered on August 26, 2025, will benefit thousands of contractual workers across Rajasthan, particularly those engaged under schemes such as MNREGA. The court emphasized that denying them the benefits would amount to exploitation and violate international labor standards.
