S.P. SHIVPRASAD PIPAL vs UNION OF INDIA & ORS.

The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Central Labour Service Rules, 1987, enacted under the proviso to Article 309 of the Constitution, which allows the President to regulate recruitment and conditions of service. The Court clarified that merging different cadres is permissible, provided certain principles are followed, as established in State of Maharashtra v. Chandrakant Anant Kulkarni (1982). The appellant's challenge based on Articles 14 and 16 was dismissed, affirming that the merger did not violate constitutional rights.