S.C. CHANDRA vs STATE OF JHARKHAND .

The Supreme Court clarified the principle of equal pay for equal work, stating that it can only apply when there is complete and wholesale identity between two groups of employees, as established in cases like State of Haryana vs. Tilak Raj (2003) 6 SCC 123 and State of Haryana & another vs. Charanjit Singh & others (2006) 9 SCC 321. The Court held that mere similarity in work does not warrant equal pay if the groups differ in qualifications, responsibilities, or recruitment methods. Consequently, the appeals were dismissed, affirming the need for careful consideration in pay scale fixation.