PRAJWALIT TULARAM GAIKWAD AND ORS. vs HINDUSTAN RETROLEUM CORPORATION LTD. AND ORS.

Judgment text excerpt

901.WP3767_2018.DOC 2026:BHC-AS:11566-DB Vidya Amin IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO. 3767 OF 2018 1. Prajwalit Tularam Gaikwad & Ors. … Petitioners Versus 1. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. 2. Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas 3. Directorate General of Training (DGT) Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 4. Ministry of Human Resources Development 5. Central Apprenticeship Council … Respondents _________ Mr. Rakesh Upadhyay a/w. Mr. Subhash V. Gutte, Ms. Aarti U. Mishra, Ms. Sayali Gutte, Mr. Harsh Som, Mr. Vishal Chauhan, Mr. Saurabh S. Gutte for the petitioners. Mr. Lancy D’souza a/w. Deepika Agarwal i/b. V.M. Parkar for respondent no.1 Mr. N.R. Prajapati a/w. Mr. Anil Yadav for respondent nos. 2 to 4/UOI. __________ CORAM: G. S. KULKARNI & AARTI SATHE, JJ. RESERVED ON: 4 FEBRUARY 2026 PRONOUNCED ON : 9 MARCH 2026 Judgment (Per G. S. Kulkarni, J.) 1. The petitioners, who were appointed as Apprentices by respondent no. 1- Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) have filed this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying for a direction against HPCL to consider the petitioners for absorption on regular posts as Grade “A” officers. The petitioners also seek a direction that HPCL be directed to frame the policy of absorption/recruitment of Graduate Apprentices as per Section 22(1) of the Apprentices Act, 1961 (for short “Apprentices Act”), by setting aside their automatic termination of the contract appointment, as apprentices. Page 1 of 40 901.WP3767_2018.DOC 2. At the outset, the prayers as made in the petition are required to be noted, which read thus: “(a) This Hon’ble Court may be pleased to issue an appropriate order/direction/writ in the nature of mandamus to direct