Sanjay Sadashiv Bendre vs State Of Maharashtra 2025 INSC 400 - Service Law - Retirement

Service Law - While municipal bodies hold the power to reorganize or rationalize services, such steps must be undertaken by following the prescribed statutory procedure, after due notice, and with proper safeguards for employees’ rights- Abruptly altering the retirement age, merely by reference to a generic classification under recruitment rules, disregards the legitimate expectations of employees who have structured their personal and professional lives around the established service regulations. Such actions strain not only the legal framework but also notions of fairness, particularly when no express legislative or regulatory change was initiated to revise the existing retirement scheme. (Para 17)

Service Law - A provision specifically dealing with retirement, especially one in force for a considerable length of time, cannot be undermined by a general classification clause in subordinate recruitment rules, in the absence of any clear legislative direction. (Para 14)