The Supreme Court of India has delivered a major verdict restoring over 8,500 cancelled recruitment posts in Tripura, ruling that the state government cannot arbitrarily stop ongoing recruitment processes and replace them with new policies.
The judgment, delivered on August 30, 2025, comes as a huge relief for thousands of unemployed youth in the state who have been waiting since 2018 for their recruitment processes to be completed.
Court Says Rules Cannot Change Midway
A bench comprising Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Rajesh Bindal stated that recruitment cannot be treated like a game where the rules are changed after it begins. The court clarified that once a recruitment process has been initiated under law, it cannot be cancelled without valid and lawful reasons.
The ruling highlighted that the Tripura government’s decision to apply a new recruitment policy retrospectively was unfair and against the principles of justice.
Background of the Case
Most of the affected recruitment drives had started during the Left Front government. These included the TCS/TPS examinations, Inspector of Boilers posts, and the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) Enrolled Followers recruitment.
Many of these processes had already reached advanced stages, with candidates selected and awaiting appointment. However, after assuming power on March 9, 2018, the BJP-led government suspended all ongoing recruitments. A new policy was announced in June 2018, and by August that year, earlier recruitment drives were officially cancelled. This triggered widespread anger among aspirants and led to a long legal battle.
Supreme Court Directives
In its final order, the Supreme Court issued strict timelines for the state government:
- TCS/TPS recruitment must be completed within four months, including results and personality tests.
- Inspector of Boilers recruitment must be finalized within two months, following the Boilers Act and relevant rules.
- TSR Enrolled Followers recruitment, where 506 candidates were already selected, must be completed within two months.
The court made it clear that the state had failed to justify halting these processes and that fairness demanded their completion.
Relief for Job Aspirants
The ruling has brought new hope for thousands of unemployed youth in Tripura whose job prospects were derailed in 2018. With this order, the state government is now bound to complete the pending recruitments fairly, transparently, and within the specified deadlines.
This judgment is being seen as a turning point for job seekers in Tripura, as it restores faith in the recruitment system and ensures that political or executive decisions cannot arbitrarily affect the careers of deserving candidates.
FAQs on Supreme Court’s Tripura Recruitment Verdict
Q1: How many government posts have been restored in Tripura?
More than 8,500 cancelled recruitment posts across various departments have been revived by the Supreme Court.
Q2: When will the TCS/TPS recruitment be completed?
The Supreme Court has directed the Tripura government to complete the TCS/TPS recruitment within four months.
Q3: What is the timeline for the Inspector of Boilers recruitment?
The recruitment must be finalized within two months, strictly following the Boilers Act and relevant rules.
Q4: What about the Tripura State Rifles recruitment?
The court has ordered the completion of the TSR Enrolled Followers recruitment within two months, ensuring fairness for the 506 candidates already selected.
Q5: Why were the recruitment processes cancelled earlier?
The recruitments were cancelled in 2018 after the BJP-led government introduced a new policy, but the Supreme Court has ruled that such retrospective cancellation was unlawful.