पंजाब राज्य बनाम जगदीप सिंह
| Citation | AIR 1964 SC 521 |
| Court | Supreme Court of India |
| Date | 18 November 1963 |
| Year | 1964 |
| Bench | P.B. Gajendragadkar CJI, K.N. Wanchoo, M. Hidayatullah JJ. |
| Acts/Articles | Article 311, Article 14 |
| Category | Service & Employment Law |
Key Principle Established
Transfer is an incident of government service. No government employee has a vested right to remain posted at a particular place. Transfer orders are not justiciable unless vitiated by mala fides.
A government servant challenged his transfer order, arguing it was punitive and amounted to a change in conditions of service.
The Supreme Court held that transfer is an incident of government service. No government servant has a vested right to remain at a particular place or post. Transfer orders are administrative matters and not ordinarily justiciable unless vitiated by mala fides, arbitrariness, or made in violation of statutory rules.
This is the foundational judgment on transfer of government employees. It is cited in every transfer dispute case. The principle has been consistently followed while carving exceptions for mala fide transfers.
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Recruitment bodies must follow fair and transparent selection processes. Any irregularity in the recruitment process vitiates the entire selection.
Read AnalysisThis judgment summary is for educational and research purposes. While care has been taken to accurately represent the ratio and findings, for authoritative reference always consult the original judgment text from official sources (SCC Online, AIR, Manupatra, or court websites).
22+ years of practice before Punjab & Haryana High Court and Supreme Court of India.