Supreme Court: Married Daughters Cannot Be Denied Compassionate Appointment

June 2, 2026 : The Supreme Court has ruled that married daughters cannot be excluded from consideration for compassionate appointments, holding that such exclusion is arbitrary, unjustified, and contrary to constitutional principles.

A Bench comprising Justices P. S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe set aside an order of the Allahabad High Court, which had held that a married daughter does not fall within the definition of “family” for the purpose of compassionate appointment.

Compassionate appointment is a scheme under which a government job is provided to an eligible family member of a deceased employee who dies in service or is forced to retire prematurely on medical grounds.

The case arose from an appeal filed by a married daughter of a deceased fair price shop dealer whose claim for appointment on compassionate grounds had been rejected. She challenged a 2019 government order that excluded married daughters from the definition of family.

Allowing her appeal, the Supreme Court held that denying married daughters eligibility solely on the basis of their marital status is constitutionally untenable. The Court observed that the exclusion of married daughters from the definition of family is manifestly arbitrary and cannot be sustained in law.