COMMODORE COMMANDING, SOUTHERN NAVAL AREA, COCHIN vs V.K. RAJAN

The Supreme Court held that the termination of a temporary government servant's services does not violate Article 16 of the Constitution if it is based on unsuitability and does not carry a stigma. The Court clarified that for Article 16 to apply, there must be clear discrimination between similarly placed employees, which was not demonstrated in this case. The appeal was allowed, affirming that the respondent's termination was lawful and not discriminatory as it was based on performance-related grounds.