The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to regularise daily wage workers employed with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) within four weeks.
The court observed that these workers have an indispensable role in India's space mission success and cannot be disregarded or discriminated against by the state.
The judgment rebuked the Centre for dragging the workers through litigation spanning various courts and tribunals, even after the top court gave a clear instruction in 2011 to make them permanent.
The court noted that the workers, employed between 1991 and 1997, were essential to the success of ISRO's missions, including the transportation of materials and maintenance of facilities.
The Centre had opposed the workers' plea, claiming they performed sporadic and intermittent work, but the court disagreed, saying their contributions were indispensable.
The court set aside the Centre's Gang Labourers Scheme, which continued to term the workers as 'temporary', and directed the Centre to grant them permanent status within four weeks.
The decision extends to all similarly situated workers engaged under the 2012 scheme, although only seven workers had approached the top court.
