SHIWANG TRIPATHI Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present Letters Patent Appeal is arising out of order dtd. 3/6/2022, passed by the learned Single Judge in W.P.(C.) No. 6811/2022 declining to grant relief of appointment/ regularization in the services of National Insurance Company Limited on the post of Officer Scale I with all consequential benefits. 

(2.) The undisputed facts of the case reveal that an advertisement was issued on 1/11/2018 by Respondent No.2 National Insurance Company Limited inviting applications for recruitment of 150 Accounts Apprentices on All-India basis. 97 candidates, pursuant to the advertisement issued by Respondent No.2 participated in the process of selection for the post of Accounts Apprentices and they were appointed vide appointment letter dtd. 6/6/2019.

(3.) The facts further reveal that the period of apprenticeship as per the terms and conditions of the offer of appointment was 2 years and the selected apprentices were to be paid a stipend of Rs.25,000.00 per month for the first year and Rs.30,000.00 for the second year. A bond was also executed by them of Rs.1,00,000.00 giving an undertaking that they will not leave the company before completion of the period of apprenticeship (1 year). The facts of the case reveal that the apprenticeship period of the Appellants was subjected to two extensions vide letter dtd. 22/6/2021 by which it was extended till 31/12/2021, i.e. for a period of six months and subsequently on 31/12/2021 by which it was again extended by six months i.e. upto 30/6/2022. It is also pertinent to note that subsequent extension vide extension letter dtd. 31/12/2021 specified categorically that the second extension granted to the Accounts Apprentices was in the nature of final extension.