KRISHAN CHANDER NAYAR vs THE CHAIRMAN, CENTRAL TRACTORORGANISATION AND OTHERS

The Supreme Court ruled that the arbitrary imposition of a ban on an individual's entry into government service constitutes a violation of the right to equality of opportunity as guaranteed by Article 16(1) of the Constitution of India. The Court emphasized that Article 16(1) not only allows individuals to apply for state employment but also mandates that their applications be considered on merit. In this case, the ban imposed on the petitioner was found to infringe upon his fundamental rights, as the authorities failed to provide a clear rationale for the ban and did not allow the petitioner an opportunity to contest it. The Court held that the ban must be lifted to uphold the petitioner's rights under Article 16(1).