UNION OF INDIA vs ALL INDIA SERVICES PENSIONERS ASSOCIATION & ANR.

The Supreme Court held that members of the All India Services who retired prior to January 1, 1973 are not entitled to gratuity under Notification No. 33/12/73-AIS (ii) dated January 24, 1975. The Court distinguished between pension and gratuity, clarifying that gratuity is a one-time payment and does not extend to those retired before the specified date. The Tribunal's decision to grant gratuity based on the Notification was overturned, affirming the binding nature of previous rulings under Article 141 of the Constitution.