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PETITIONER: SABHAJIT TEWARY

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: UNION OF INDIA & ORS.

DATE OF JUDGMENT21/02/1975

BENCH: RAY, A.N. (CJ) BENCH: RAY, A.N. (CJ) MATHEW, KUTTYIL KURIEN CHANDRACHUD, Y.V. ALAGIRISWAMI, A. GUPTA, A.C.

CITATION:  1975 AIR 1329            1975 SCC  (1) 485  CITATOR INFO :  R          1976 SC 888  (10)  RF         1976 SC2216  (7)  RF         1979 SC1628  (31)  RF         1981 SC 212  (38,42)  R          1981 SC 487  (13)  R          1981 SC1395  (10)  D          1984 SC 541  (8,12,13)  RF         1986 SC1571  (50,52)  RF         1988 SC 469  (6,7,8,10)  RF         1992 SC  76  (8)

ACT: Constitution   of  India,  Arts,  12  and   14--Council   of Scientific and Industrial Research ’if authority’.

HEADNOTE: The petitioner, a stenographer in the Council of  Scientific and  Industrial  Research. contended  that  certain  letters relating to his remuneration were discriminatory, as far  as ha was concerned, and violative of Art. 14. Dismissing the petition, HELD : The respondent Council is not an authority within the meaning  of Art. 12 and the petitioner was,  therefore,  not entitled to invoke Art. 14 against it. [618B-C] The Council does not have a statutory character like the Oil and Natural Gas Commission or the life Insurance Corporation or  the  Industrial Finance Corporation.  It  is  a  society incorporated  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the Societies  Registration  Act.   The  fact  that  the   Prime Minister  is the president, or that the Government  appoints nominees  to the governing body or that the  Government  may terminate  the membership, will not establish anything  more than  the fact that the Government takes special  care  that the  promotion, guidance and cooperation of  scientific  and industrial  research,  the  institution  and  financing   of specific   researches,  establishment  or  development   and assistance  to  special institutions or departments  of  the existing  institution.,. for- scientific study  of  problems affecting   particular   industry  in  a  trade,   and   the utilisation of the result of the researches conducted  under

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the  auspices  of  the Council towards  the  development  of industries in the country, are carried out in a  responsible manner. [617E-H] Praga  Tools  Corporation v. C. A. Imanual & Ors.  [1969]  3 S.C.R. 773. Heavy Engineering Mazdoor Union v. The State  of Bihar & Ors. [1969] 3 S.C.R. 995 and S. L. Agarwal v.  Gene- rat Manager.  Hindiustan Steel Ltd. [1970] 3 S.C.R. 363. referred to.

JUDGMENT: ORIGINAI, JURISDICTION : Writ Petition No. 43 of 1972. Petition under Art. 32 of the Constitution of India. B. R. G. K. Acher, for the petitioner. F.  S. Nariman  , Additional Solicitor General of India  and Rameshwar Nath, for respondents Nos. 2, 3 and 4. The Judgment of the Court was delivered by RAY, C.J.-In Writ Petition No. 43 of 1972 the petitioner who is  junior  stenographer in the Council  of  Scientific  and Industrial Research asked for an order declaring two letter- to  be discriminatory and violative of Article 14.  The  two letters  relate  to  recommendations  of  the  Finance  Sub- Committee  of  the  Council  of  Scientific  and  Industrial Research  with regard to remuneration of stenographers.   In short,  the  petitioners allegations are that he  should  be granted  the same number of advance increments  as  approved and granted to new currents. 617 in  order to entitle the petitioner to impeach the  circular on  the  ground  of infraction of Article  14  and  16,  the petitioner  has to establish that the Council of  Scientific and  Industrial Research is an authority within the  meaning of Article 12 of the Constitution. The  Council  is a society registered  under  the  Societies Registration  Act.  Reliance was placed by counsel  for  the petitioner on these features of the society.  Under Rule, 3, the  Prime Minister of India is the ex-officio President  of the  Society.  The Governing Body under Rule 30 consists  of inter alia some persons appointed by the Government of India representing  the  administrative Ministry under  which  the Council  of Scientific and Industrial Research is  included, and  the  Ministry  of  Finance  and  one  or  more  members appointed  by  the Government of India.  The  Government  of India  may terminate the membership of any member or at  one and  the same time of all members other than the  ex-officio members  of  the Governing Body.  Rule 45  states  that  the Governing Body shall have the management of all the  affairs and funds of the Society.  Rule 46 states that the Governing Body  shall have power, with the sanction of the  Government of India to frame, amend or repeal bye-laws not inconsistent with the rules for the administration and management of  the affairs of the Society and in particular to provide for  the terms  and tenure of appointments, employments,  allowances, rules  of discipline and other conditions of service of  the officers and staff of the Society.  Reference was also  made to  the Government of India (Allocation of Business)  Rules, 1961  and in particular to page 76 where it is  stated  that all  matters  relating  to the  Council  of  Scientific  and Industrial Research are under the department of Science  and Technology. Extracting the features as aforesaid, it was contended  that these  would  indicate that the Council  of  Scientific  and Industrial Research was really an agency of the  Government. This  contention  is unsound.  The Society does not  have  a

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statutory character like the Oil and Natural Gas Commission, or  the  Life Insurance Corporation  or  Industrial  Finance Corporation.   It  is a society incorporated  in  accordance with the provisions of the Societies Registration Act.  The, fact  that the Prime Minister is the President or  that  the Government  appoints nominees to the Governing Body or  that the,  Government  may  terminate  the  membership  will  not establish  anything more than the fact that  the  Government takes special care that the promotion, guidance and co-operation of scientific and industrial research,  the institution   and   financing   of   specific    researches, establishment  or  development  and  assistance  to  special institutions or departments of the existing institutions for scientific  study of problems affecting Particular  industry in a trade, the utilisation of the result of the  researches conducted  under  the auspices of the  Council  towards  the development of industries in the country are carried out  in a responsible manner. This  Court  has he1d in Praga Tools Corporation  v.  C.  A. lmanual  &  Ors.  [1969] 3 S.C.R.  773.   Heavy  Engineering Mazdoor  Union v. The State of Bihar & Ors. [1969] 3  S.C.R. 995  and  in S. I,.  Agarwal v.  General  Manager  Hindustan Steel  Ltd.  [1970]  3  SC.R.  363  that  the  Praga   Tools Corporation, Heavy Engineering 70 Sup.  CI/75 618 Mazdoor  Union  and Hindustan Steel Ltd. are  all  companies incorporated  under the Companies Act and the  employees  of these  companies  do not enjoy the protection  available  to Government  servants  as contemplated in Article  311.   The companies  were  held  in these cases  to  have  independent existence  of  the  Government and by the  law  relating  to corporations.  These could not be held to be departments  of the Government. For  these  reasons we are of opinion that  the  Council  of Scientific  and  Industrial  Research is  not  an  authority within  the meaning of Article 12 of the Constitution.   The writ petition is dismissed. Parties will pay and bear  their own costs in this Writ Petition. V.P.S.                            Petition dismissed. 619