20 September 1957
Supreme Court
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STATE OF U. P. Vs MANBODHAN LAL SRIVASTAVA.

Bench: DAS, SUDHI RANJAN (CJ),AIYYAR, T.L. VENKATARAMA,SINHA, BHUVNESHWAR P.,KAPUR, J.L.,SARKAR, A.K.
Case number: Appeal (civil) 27 of 1955


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PETITIONER: STATE OF U. P.

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: MANBODHAN LAL SRIVASTAVA.

DATE OF JUDGMENT: 20/09/1957

BENCH: SINHA, BHUVNESHWAR P. BENCH: SINHA, BHUVNESHWAR P. DAS, SUDHI RANJAN (CJ) AIYYAR, T.L. VENKATARAMA KAPUR, J.L. SARKAR, A.K.

CITATION:  1957 AIR  912            1958 SCR  533

ACT:        Government  servant-Disciplinary  Proceedings-Enquiry  Show-        cause notice under Art. 31l(2) of the Constitution-Consulta-        tion of Public Service Commission--Whethcr mandatory-Consti-        tution of India, Arts. 311(2), 320(3) (c).

HEADNOTE:        The  respondent  was an employee under  the  appellant,  the        State of Uttar Pradesh, and as it was discovered that he had        allowed  his private interests to come in conflict with  his        public  duties,  a  departmental inquiry  was  held  wherein        charges  were  framed against him.  He was  called  upon  to        submit his written statement of defence and given an  oppor-        tunity to adduce evidence in support of it.  After consider-        ing  the  report of the enquiry, in which the  charges  were        found to be true, the appellant called upon the  respondent,        under  Art.  311(2) of the Constitution of  India,  to  show        cause why he should not be demoted and compulsorily retired,        and  the respondent submitted a written explanation  setting        out his defence and objecting to the procedure        534        adopted  at the inquiry.  Subsequently, the  respondent  was        given  a  copy of the report and again called upon  to  show        cause  why the proposed penalty of reduction in rank  should        not  be  imposed  upon him, and he once  again  submitted  a        written  explanation.   In  the meantime  the  State  Public        Service Commission was consulted by the Government as to the        punishment  proposed to be imposed, and for this purpose  it        was  supplied with all the relevant material up to the  date        of the second show-cause notice.  The Government finally  by        an  order dated September 12, 1953, inter alia, reduced  the        rank of the respondent with effect from August 2, 1952,  and        thereupon, the respondent filed petitions under Art. 226  of        the  Constitution  before  the High  Court  challenging  the        legality of the Government order.  The High Court found that        though the State -Public Service Commission was consulted by        the Government it was not supplied with the written explana-        tion  submitted  by the respondent in answer to  the  second        show-cause notice, and held that the order of the Government

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      was  invalid  for  the reason that the  provisions  of  Art.        320(3)(c)  of the Constitution had not been  fully  complied        with.   On appeal to the Supreme Court  additional  evidence        was sought to be adduced on behalf of the appellant to  show        that as a matter of fact the State Public Service Commission        was consulted even after the submission of the  respondent’s        explanation  in answer to the second show-cause notice,  but        it  was found that there was sufficient opportunity for  the        appellant  to  place all the relevant materials  before  the        High Court itself :        Held,  (1)  that  the additional evidence ought  not  to  be        admitted  and that the finding of the High Court that  there        was no consultation with the Commission after the respondent        had submitted his explanation in answer to the second  show-        cause notice, must stand.        It  is well-settled that additional evidence should  not  be        permitted  at the appellate stage in order to enable one  of        the parties to remove lacunae in presenting its case at  the        proper stage, and to fill in gaps.  Of course, the  position        is  different  where  the appellate  court  itself  requires        certain  evidence to be adduced in order to enable it to  do        justice between the parties.        (2)  that the provisions of Art. 320(3)(c) of the  Constitu-        tion of India are not mandatory and that they do not  confer        any  rights on a public servant so that the absence of  con-        sultation  or  any  irregularity in  consultation  does  not        afford him a cause of action in a court of law.        P.   Joseph John v. The State of Travancore-Cochin, (1955) 1        S.C.R. 1011, considered.        Biswanath  Khamka  v. The King Emperor,  (1945)  F.C.R.  99,        relied on.        (3)  that Art. 311 of the Constitution is not controlled  by        the provisions of Art. 320.        535

JUDGMENT:        CIVIL APPPELATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeals Nos. 27 and  28        of 1955.        Appeals  from the judgment and order dated the 8th  January,        1954,  of the Allahabad High Court in Civil Misc.  Writ  No.        817 of 1953.        G. C. Mathur and C. P. Lal, for the appellant in C. A.   No.        27 and respondent in C. A. No. 28.        N.   C.  Sen, for the respondent in C. A. No. 27 and  appel-        lant in C. A. No. 28.        1957.   September 20.  The following Judgment of  the  Court        was delivered by        SINHEA J.-These two cross-appeals on certificates granted by        the High Court under Art. 132 (1) of the Constitution, arise        out  of a common judgment and order of a Division  Bench  of        the  High  Court  of Judicature at Allahabad,  in  two  writ        petitions  Nos. 121 and 817 of 1953, dated  January  8,1954,        allowing, in part and dismissing in part, the two  petitions        under Art. 226 of the Constitution, by which the  petitioner        questioned the validity of the orders passed by the  Govern-        ment  of Uttar Pradesh, reducing him in rank,  and  ordering        his compulsory retirement from service.  Civil Appeal No. 27        has  been preferred by the State of Uttar Pradesh and  Civil        Appeal No. 28 by the petitioner in the Court below.  For the        sake  of brevity, we shall refer to the State of Uttar  Pra-        desh  as the appellant and the petitioner in the High  Court        -Sri  Manbodhan  Lal Srivastava-as the  respondent,  in  the        course of this judgment which covers both the appeals.

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      It is necessary to state the following facts : In 1920,  the        respondent  was employed in the education department of  the        State  of Uttar Pradesh, and in due course, was promoted  to        the United Provinces Education Service (Junior Scale).  This        took  place in 1946.  In the year 1948, the  respondent  was        appointed an officer-on-special duty and managing editor  of        a  quarterly  journal issued by  the  education  department,        under  the  style  " Shiksha ". While holding  the  post  of        officer-on-special-duty, the respondent was also        536        appointed  a  member of the Book  Selection  Committee.   He        continued to function as such until 1951.  The  respondent’s        conduct  as a member of that Committee was not found  to  be        satisfactory and above board, inasmuch as it was  discovered        that  he had allowed his private interests to come  in  con-        flict  with his public duties.  He was found to  have  shown        favours  in  the  selection of books on  approved  list,  in        respect  of  certain books said to have been  written  by  a        nephew  of his, aged only 14 years, and by another  relation        of  his,  as also to a firm of publishers who  had  advanced        certain  sums of money to him on interest.  In  July,  1952,        the  respondent was transferred as Headmaster of  a  certain        High School, but he did not join his post and went on  leave        on  medical  grounds.  While on leave,  the  respondent  was        suspended from service with effect from August 2, 1952.   In        September,  the same year, the Director of Education  issued        orders,  framing charges against the respondent and  calling        upon  him  to submit his written statement  of  defence  and        giving him an opportunity to call evidence in support of it.        It  is not necessary for the purposes of this case,  to  set        out the charges framed against him except to state that  the        details of the books said to have been written by his prodi-        gy  nephew and his other relation, were given, the  gravamen        of  the charges being that. he did not inform the  Committee        of  his relationship with the alleged authors of the  books,        the  selection of which was calculated to  brine,  pecuniary        benefit  to those relations.  Another charge related to  his        having  benefited a certain firm of publishers whose  books,        about a dozen in number, had been selected by the  Committee        of  which  he  was a member.   The  respondent  submitted  a        lengthy written statement in his defence and did not  insist        on  oral  examination of witnesses, but  enclosed  with  his        explanation certain affidavits in support of his case.   The        Director  of  Education, after a thorough inquiry  into  the        charges framed against the respondent, submitted a report to        the  effect  that the charges framed against  him  had  been        substantially  proved.  He, recommended that the  respondent        be demoted to the subordinate        537        Education  Service and be compulsorily retired.  After  con-        sidering  the  report aforesaid, the Government  decided  on        November  7, 1952, to call upon the respondent,  under  Art.        311(2) of the Constitution, to show cause why the punishment        suggested  in the departmental inquiry report should not  be        imposed  upon  him.  In pursuance of  the  sbow-cause-notice        served upon the respondent on November 13, 1952, he put in a        long  written explanation on November 26, 1952, on the  same        lines as his written statement of defence submitted  earlier        as aforesaid, bearing on the merits of the findings as  also        objecting to the procedure adopted at the inquiry.  He  also        showed cause against the proposed punishment.  A  Government        notification  dated January 9, 1953, was  published  showing        the  names of the officers of the education department,  who        would  retire  in due course on superannuation, that  is  to        say, at the age of 55, and the corresponding dates of super-

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      annuation.  The respondent is shown therein as one of those,        and  in the last column meant for showing the dates  of  re-        tirement,  September 15, 1953, is mentioned as  against  his        name.   On February 2, 1953, the respondent filed the  first        petition  (Writ  Petition No. 121 of 1953)  challenging  the        validity  of the order of the Government suspending him  and        calling upon him to show cause why he should not be  reduced        in  rank with effect from the date of suspension,  and  also        compulsorily retired.  In that petition, he also  challenged        the legality of the entire proceedings and prayed for a writ        of mandamus directing the Government to pay his full  salary        during the period of suspension until he attained the age of        superannuation  as aforesaid.  PerhapRr realising  that  the        show-cause-notice  served upon the respondent as  aforesaid,        in November, 1952, would not fully satisfy the  requirements        of a reasonable opportunity as contemplated by the Constitu-        tion, the Director of Education forwarded to the respondent,        along with a covering letter dated June 16, 1953, a copy  of        the report of the inquiry; and again called upon him to show        cause  why the proposed penalty of reduction in rank be  not        imposed upon him.  The State Public        538        Service  Commission (which we shall refer to as the  Commis-        sion) was also consulted by the Government as to the punish-        ment  proposed  to be imposed as a result  of  the  inquiry.        Presumably,  the Commission was supplied with all the  rele-        vant material upto the date of the second show-cause notice.        The  Commission was consulted but it appears from the  find-        ings of the High Court that the respondent’s written  expla-        nation submitted on July 3,1953, was not before the  Commis-        sion.  The explanation submitted on July 3, 1953, was a much        more  elaborate one dealing not only with the three  charges        which had been made against him, but also with other irrele-        vant  findings of the inquiry officer who had  made  several        observations  against the respondent’s efficiency  and  con-        duct, which were not the subject-matter of the several heads        of charge framed against the respondent, and, therefore, not        called  for.  After considering the opinion of  the  Commis-        sion,  the inquiry report and the several explanations  sub-        mitted  by the respondent, the State Government  passed  its        final order dated September 12, 1953, reducing the  respond-        ent in rank from the U. P. Education Service (Junior  Scale)        to Subordinate Education Service, with effect from August 2,        1952, and compulsorily retiring him.  The order of compulso-        ry retirement was more or less superfluous as the respondent        would  have retired in the ordinary course with effect  from        September 15, 1953, as already indicated.  During the  pend-        ency of the first writ petition, and after it had been heard        by  the High Court in part, the respondent filed the  second        writ  application (being Writ Petition No. 817 of  1953)  on        September  23, 1953, practically covering the  same  grounds        and  praying for the same reliefs as aforesaid.  A  Division        Bench of the High Court, presided over by the Chief Justice,        by its judgment and order dated January 8, 1954, disposed of        both  the  writ petitions holding that the  orders  impugned        were  invalid  for the reason that the  provisions  of  Art.        320(3)  (c) of the Constitution had not been fully  complied        with because the last written explanation of the  respondent        submitted  on July 3, 1953, had not been placed  before  the        Commission.        539        The High Court, therefore, quashed the orders of the Govern-        ment  reducing him in rank and reducing his emoluments  with        effect from the date of suspension as aforesaid.  It did not        pass  any  order in respect of  the  compulsorys  retirement

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      because that had happened in due course before the  judgment        of  the High Court.  The appellant has filed appeal  No.  27        from this part of the judgment and order of the High  Court.        The High Court refused the respondent’s prayer in respect of        the full salary for the period of suspension during which he        had  been  deprived of it by the orders  of  the  Government        impugned  by him.  From this part of the judgment,  the  re-        spondent  has preferred appeal No. 28.  It is manifest  that        if  the  State Government’s appeal is  well-founded  and  is        allowed  by  this Court, the respondent’s appeal  must  fail        without any further consideration.        Before dealing with the merits of the controversy raised  in        these  appeals,  it is necessary to state  that  Mr.  Mathur        appearing  on  behalf of the appellant,  proposed  to  place        before this Court, at the time of the argument, the original        records  and  certain  affidavits to show that,  that  as  a        matter of fact, all the relevant facts relating to consulta-        tion between the State Government and the Commission had not        been placed before the High Court and that if the additional        evidence  were taken at this stage, he would  satisf’y  this        Court  that  the  Commission was consulted  even  after  the        submission of the respondent’s explanation in answer to  the        second  show-cause-notice.  Without looking into  the  addi-        tional evidence proposed to be placed before us, we indicat-        ed that we would not permit additional evidence to be placed        at this stage when there was sufficient opportunity for  the        State  Government to place all the relevant  matters  before        the High Court itself.  We could not see any special reasons        why additional. evidence should be allowed to be adduced  in        this Court.  It was not suggested that all that matter which        was  proposed to be placed before this Court was not  avail-        able  to the State Government during the time that the  High        Court considered the writ petitions on two occasions,        69        540        It  is well-settled that additional evidence should  not  be        permitted  at the appellate stage in order to enable one  of        the parties to remove certain lacunae in presenting its case        at  the proper stage, and to fill in gaps.  Of  course,  the        position  is  different  where the  appellate  court  itself        requires  certain evidence to be adduced in order to  enable        it to do justice between the parties.  In this case,  there-        fore,  we have proceeded on the assumption that  though  the        Commission was consulted as to the guilt or otherwise of the        respondent  and the action proposed to be taken  aginst  him        after  he  had submitted his explanation in  answer  to  the        first show-cause-notice, there was no consultation with  the        Commission  after  the  respondent had  submitted  his  more        elaborate  explanation in answer to the  second  show-cause-        notice.        Hence, the main question in controversy in appeal No. 27  of        1955 is whether the High Court was right in taking the  view        that  Art.  311  was  subject  to  the  provisions  of  Art.        320(3)(c) of the Constitution, which were mandatory, and, as        such,  non-compliance with those provisions in  the  instant        case  was  fatal to the proceedings ending  with  the  order        passed by the Government on September 12, 1953.        The  High Court started with the assumption that the  provi-        sions  aforesaid  of the Constitution are mandatory  and  on        that  assumption proceeded to consider the further  question        whether  non-compliance with those provisions by  the  State        Government conferred any right on the respondent to question        the  validity of the order impugned in this case.   In  this        connection,  the  High Court found that the  Commission  had        been  consulted some time in June, 1953.  It has to  be  as-

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      sumed  as aforesaid, that the Commission had not  before  it        the  more elaborate explanation submitted in writing by  the        respondent  on July 3, in answer to the  second  show-cause-        notice.   The High Court was further of the opinion that  it        may  be that if that explanation had been placed before  the        Commission, its advice to the State Government may not  have        been in the same terms in which it actually gave its advice,        and after considering which, along                                    541        with other relevant matters, the State Government passed the        order now in question.  We shall assume for the purposes  of        this  case  that there was an irregularity  in,  though  not        complete absence of, consultation with the Commission.   Now        the  question  is: Did this irregularity afford a  cause  of        action to the respondent to challenge the final order passed        by the State Government on September 12, 1953 ? That part of        the order which related to compulsory retirement may  easily        be passed over, because, in any case, three days litter,  on        September 15, the respondent retired in due course.   Hence,        the operative portion of the final order of the  Government,        which  adversely  affected  the respondent,  was  the  order        reducing him in rank from the Provincial to the  Subordinate        grade.  That order appears to have satisfied the  conditions        laid  down in Art. 311 of the Constitution.  At no stage  of        the  controversy has it been suggested that, so far  as  the        appellant was concerned, the respondent had not a " reasona-        ble opportunity of showing cause against the action proposed        to  be taken in regard to him "; that is to say, it  is  now        beyond question that the proceedings taken by the appellant,        including  the departmental inquiry against  the  respondent        ending  with his reduction in rank, satisfied the  mandatory        provisions  of  Chapter I of Part XIV of  the  Constitution,        with  particular  reference to Art. 31  1.  That  conclusion        would put an end to the respondent’s case, unless it is held        that  the  provisions of Art. 320(3)(c) are of  a  mandatory        character  and  are in the nature of a rider to Art.  31  1.        This  question  does not appear to have been  determined  by        this  Court  in  the form in which it has  been  now  raised        before  us.  In the case of P. Joseph John v. The  State  of        Travancore Cochin(1), the question of consultation with  the        State  Public  Service  Commission was  raised  in  slightly        different circumstances.  After the Government had before it        the  result  of the inquiry into the conduct of  the  public        servant, and after the punishment was tenta. tively  arrived        at,  the Commission was consulted and it agreed to the  pro-        posed action.  But this consultation        (I)  [1955] I S.C.R. 1011.        542        and  agreement  was before the public servant was  asked  to        show  cause against the action proposed to be taken  against        him.  His complaint was that the Commission should have been        consulted  after he had moved the Government  for  reviewing        its  previous  order, and this Court ruled that it  was  not        incumbent  on  the Government to consult the  Commission  as        many times as he might choose to move the Government by  way        of  review.   In that case, this Court did not  discuss  and        pronounce  upon the alleged mandatory character of Art.  320        of the Constitution.  Hence, it may be taken that we have to        determine  this  controversy  for the  first  time,  though,        according  to the strict construction of the words  of  Art.        320(3)(c), an application for review would be covered by the        words memorials or petitions ".        Article 320(3)(c) is in these terms        320(3):"  The Union Public Service Commission or  the  State        Public  Service  Commission, as the case may  be,  shall  be

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      consulted-        (a).........................................................        (b).........................................................        (c)  on all disciplinary matters affecting a person  serving        under  the Government of India or the Government of a  State        in a civil capacity, including memorials or petitions relat-        ing to such matters; ".        Article 320 does not come under Chapter I headed Services  "        of Part XIV.  It occurs in Chapter 11 of that part headed  "        Public  Service Commissions." Articles 320 and 323 lay  down        the several duties of a Public Service Commission.   Article        321  envisages such " additional functions " as may be  pro-        vided  for by Parliament or a State  Legislature.   Articles        320  and 323 begin with the words "It shall be the duty  and        then  proceed to prescribe the various duties and  functions        of  the Union or a State Public Service Commission, such  as        to  conduct  examinations  for appointments;  to  assist  in        framing  and operating schemes of joint recruitment; and  of        being  consulted on all matters relating to methods  of  re-        cruitment  or  principles in making  appointments  to  Civil        Services and on all disciplinary matters affecting                                    543        a civil servant.  Perhaps, because of the use of the word  "        shall " in several parts of Art. 320, the High Court was led        to assume that the provisions of Art. 320(3)(c) were  manda-        tory, but, in our opinion, there are several cogent  reasons        for holding to the contrary.  In the first place, the provi-        so  to Art. 320, itself, contemplates that the President  or        the  Governor,  as the case may be,  "may  make  regulations        specifying the matters in which either generally, or in  any        particular class of case or in particular circumstances,  it        shall not be necessary for a Public Service Commission to be        consulted."  The words quoted above give a clear  indication        of  the intention of the Constitution makers that  they  did        envisage certain cases or classes of cases in which the Com.        mission  need not be consulted.  If the provisions  of  Art.        320  were of a mandatory character, the  Constitution  would        not have left it to the discretion of the Head of the Execu-        tive  Government to undo those provisions by making  regula-        tions  to  the  contrary.  If it had been  intended  by  the        makers  of the Constitution that consultation with the  Com-        mission should be mandatory, the proviso would not have been        there,  or,  at any rate, in the terms in which  it  stands.        That does not amount to saying that it is open to the Execu-        tive  Government completely to ignore the existence  of  the        Commission  or to pick and choose cases in which it  may  or        may not be consulted.  Once, relevant regulations have  been        made, they are meant to be followed in letter and in  spirit        and  it goes without saying that consultation with the  Com-        mission  on  all  disciplinary matters  affecting  a  public        servant has been specifically provided for, in order, first,        to give an assurance to the Services that a wholly independ-        ent  body, not directly concerned with the making of  orders        adversely  affecting  public servants,  has  considered  the        action  proposed  to be taken against  a  particular  public        servant,  with  an open mind; and, secondly, to  afford  the        Government  unbiassed advice and opinion on matters  vitally        affecting the morale of public services.  It is,  therefore,        incumbent upon the Executive Government, when it proposes to        take any disciplinary        544        action  against a public servant, to consult the  Commission        as to whether the action proposed to be taken was  justified        and was not in excess of the requirements of the situation.        Secondly, it is clear that the requirement of the  consulta-

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      tion  with  the  Commission does not extend  to  making  the        advice of the Commission on those matter,,;, binding on  the        Government.  Of course, the Government, when it consults the        Commission  on matters like these, does it, not by way of  a        mere  formality, but, with a view to getting proper  assist-        ance  in  assessing  the guilt or otherwise  of  the  person        proceeded  against and of the suitability and  adequacy   of        the  penalty proposed to be imposed. If the opinion  of  the        Commission were binding on the Government, it may have  been        argued with greater force that non-compliance with the  rule        for  consultation would have been-fatal to the  validity  of        the  order proposed to be passed against a  public  servant.        In the absence of such a binding character, it is  difficult        to  see  how  non-compliance with  the  provisions  of  Art.        320(3)(c)  could  have the effect of  nullifying  the  final        order passed by the Government.        Thirdly,  Art.  320 or the other articles in Chapter  II  of        Part  XIV of the Constitution deal with the constitution  of        the  Commission and appointment and removal of the  Chairman        or other members of the Commission and their terms of  serv-        ice  as also their duties and functions.  Chapter  II  deals        with the relation between Government and the Commission  but        not between the Commission and a public servant.  Chapter II        containing Art. 320 does not, in terms, confer any rights or        privileges on an individual public servant nor any constitu-        tional  guarantee  of the nature contained in Chapter  I  of        that Part, particularly Art. 31 1. Article 31 1,  therefore,        is  not, in anyway, controlled by the provisions of  Chapter        II of Part XIV, with particular reference to Art. 320.        The  question may be looked at from another point  of  view.        Does the Constitution provide for the contingency as to what        is  to  happen in the event of non-compliance with  the  re-        quirements  of Art. 320(3)(c) ? It does not, either  in  ex-        press terms        545        or  by implication, provide that the result of such  a  non-        compliance is to invalidate the proceedings ending with  the        final order of the Government.  This aspect of the  relevant        provisions  of  Part XIV of the Constitution, has  a  direct        bearing on the question whether Art. 320 is mandatory.   The        question whether a certain provision in a statute imposing a        duty  on  a public body or authority was mandatory  or  only        directory,  arose  before their Lordships  of  the  Judicial        Committee  of  the  Privy Council in the  case  of  Montreal        Street  Railway Company v. Normandin (I).  In that case  the        question mooted was whether the omission to revise the  jury        lists as directed by the statute had the effect of  nullify-        ing the verdict given by a jury.  Their Lordships held  that        the  irregularities in the due revision of the  jury  ’Lists        will not ipso facto avoid the verdict of a jury.  The  Board        made  the  following  observations in the  course  of  their        judgment:               ".. ............ The question whether provisions in a        statute  are  directory or imperative  has  very  frequently        arisen in this country, but it has been said that no general        rule can be laid down, and that in every case the object  of        the  statute  must be looked at.  The cases on  the  subject        will be found collected in Maxwell on Statutes, 5th ed.,  p.        596  and following pages.  When the provisions of a  statute        relate  to the performance of a public duty and the case  is        such that to hold null and void acts done in neglect of this        duty would work serious general inconvenience, or  injustice        to persons who have no control over those entrusted with the        duty, and at the same time would not promote the main object        of  the Legislature, it has been the practice to  hold  such

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      provisions to be directory only, the neglect of them, though        punishable, not affecting the validity of the acts done."        The  principle  laid down in this case was  adopted  by  the        Federal  Court in the case of Biswanath Khemka v.  The  King        Emperor (2).  In that case, the Federal Court had to consid-        er  the effect of non-compliance with the provisions  of  s.        256 of the Government of India Act, 1935, requiring  consul-        tation between public authorities        (r) L.R. [1917] A.C. 70.        (2) [1945] F.C.R. 99.        546        before  the conferment of magisterial powers or of  enhanced        magisterial powers, etc.  The Court repelled the  contention        that  the provisions of s. 256, aforesaid,  were  mandatory.        It  was  further held that noncompliance with  that  section        would  not  render the appointment otherwise  regularly  and        validly  made,  invalid or inoperative.   That  decision  is        particularly  important  as the words of  the  section  then        before  their Lordships of the Federal Court were  very  em-        phatic and of a prohibitory character.        An examination of the terms of Art. 320 shows that the  word        " shall " appears in almost every paragraph and every clause        or  sub-clause  of that article.  If it were held  that  the        provisions  of  Art. 320(3)(c) are mandatory in  terms.  the        other clauses or sub-clauses of that article will have to be        equally  held  to be mandatory.  If they are  so  held,  any        appointments  made to the public services of the Union or  a        State,  without observing strictly the terms of  these  sub-        clauses  in cl. (3) of Art. 320, would adversely affect  the        person so appointed to a -public service, without any  fault        on  his part and without his having any say in  the  matter.        This  result could not have been contemplated by the  makers        of  the Constitution.  Hence, the use of the word " shall  "        in  a statute, though generally taken in a mandatory  sense,        does -not necessarily mean that in every case it shall  have        that  effect, that is to say, that unless the words  of  the        statute  are punctiliously followed, the proceeding, or  the        outcome  of the proceeding, would be invalid.  On the  other        hand, it is not always correct to say that where the word  "        may  "  has  been used, the statute is  only  permissive  or        directory in the sense that non-compliance with those provi-        sions  will  not  render the proceeding  invalid.   In  that        connection, the following quotation from Crawford on ’Statu-        tory Construction’-art. 261 at p. 516, is pertinent:        "  The  question  as to whether a statute  is  mandatory  or        directory depends upon the intent of the legislature and not        upon  the  language  in Which the intent  is  clothed.   The        meaning  and intention of the legislature must  govern,  and        these are to be ascertained,        547        not  only from the phraseology of the provision but also  by        considering  its  nature, its design, and  the  consequences        which  would  follow from construing it the one way  or  the        other..........."        We have already indicated that Art. 320(3)(c) of the Consti-        tution  does  not confer any rights on a public  servant  so        that  the  absence of consultation or  any  irregularity  in        consultation,  should not afford him a cause of action in  a        court  of  law, or entitle him to relief under  the  special        powers of a High Court under Art. 226 of the Constitution or        of this Court under Art. 32.  It is not a right which  could        be  recognized and enforced by a writ.  On the  other  hand,        Art.  311 of the Constitution has been construed as  confer-        ring  a  right on a civil servant of the Union or  a  State,        which  he  can  enforce in a court of law.   Hence,  if  the

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      provisions  of  Art. 311, have been complied  with  in  this        case  and it has not been contended at any stage  that  they        had  not  been complied with-he has no  remedy  against  any        irregularity  that the State Government may have  committed.        Unless,  it  can be held, and we are not prepared  to  hold,        that  Art. 320(3)(c) is in the nature of a rider or  proviso        to Art. 31 1, it is not possible to construe Art.  320(3)(c)        in  the  sense of affording a cause of action  to  a  public        servant  against  whom  some action has been  taken  by  his        employer.        In  view of these considerations, it must be held  that  the        provisions of Art. 320(3)(c) are not mandatory and that non-        compliance with those provisions does not afford a cause  of        action  to the respondent in a court of law.  It is not  for        this  Court further to consider what other remedy,  if  any,        the  respondent has.  Appeal No. 27 is,  therefore,  allowed        and  appeal No. 28 dismissed. In view of the fact  that  the        appellant  did  not strictly comply with the terms  of  Art.        320(3)(c)  of  the Constitution, we direct that  each  party        bear its own costs throughout.                           Appeal No. 27 allowed.                          Appeal No. 28 dismissed.        70        548