A.N. Pathak and 5 Others v. Secretary to the Government, Ministry of Defence and Another

, KHALID, J. The petitioners, six in number, are working in the Ministry of Defence, Department of Production. They joined their B service on different dates ranging from 1963 to 1969. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th petitioners joined service as Senior Technical Assistant while 4th and 6th petitioners joined as Technical Assistant. The !st and 2nd petitioners are now working as Senior Technical Officer (officiating), 3rd and 4th petitioners are working as Technical Officer (officiating) and 5th & 6th are working as Junior Technical Officer. None of the C petitioner have been confirmed in their respective posts to which they have been promoted. The first respondent is the Secretary to the Government, Ministry of Defence and the second respondent, Director, Directorate of Production and Inspection, Naval. D The appointment and promotion of persons like the petitioners were governed by the department of Defence Production (Directorate of Production and Inspection, Naval) Group A and Group B Technical Post Recruitment Rules, 1976, for short 'the Rules'. Prior to these rules, they were governed by the Rules framed in 1965 and revised in E 1972. The grievance of the petitioner is that the Rules discriminate between them and the direct recruits, that their seniority is not taken into consideration while the seniority list is prepared and that the direct recruits are given seniority over them undeservedly by virtue of F the operation of the method of recruitment contained in the rules. The petitioners complain that the list so prepared is purely arbitrary and ignores their length of service. They made representations to the first respondent complaining against the injustice done to them and for redressal of their grievances. There were no favourable orders. Hence ~~~~. G The prayer in the petition is for a mandamus declaring the rules and the seniority list dated 25.7.1977, 3.9.1977 and 7.9.1977, prepared according to rules, as bad as violative of Articles 14 & 16. In the counter affidavit filed by the respondents two preliminary H A objections were taken-(1) that the joint petition filed by the petition­ ers.is not maintainable inasmuch as it involves determination of diffe­ rent questions of facts based on separate caused of action and (2) that the petitioners have not arrayed as respondents all the officers who would be adversely affected by any order to be passed by this Court. The rules in question are justified on the ground that they were validly B passed. It is stated that the offending· clause cannot be faulted as violative of Article 14 and Article 16 of the Constitution. The rules were framed in consultation with the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Cabinet Secretariat, in the light of the past experience. It is stated that the rules, far from causing any discrimina­ tion, seek to fix rationally (:i) inter-seniority, (ii) quotas for recruit- C ment and (iii) norms whereby the cases of all senior persons are to be considered. The preparation of the offending lists is justified on the plea that the principle of fixing seniority on the basis of length of service and dates of confirmation is not an inflexible rule and that it is possible in law that a direct recruit who is appointed later in point of time is senior to a promotee because of the working out of the quota D rule. The Counter Affidavit continues with the usual plea that in cer­ tain given cases seniority based on length of service can be ignored. • Before dealing with the merits of this case we will dispose of the preliminary objections. We are not impressed with the preliminary E objections. The petitioners have clearly given the details about the dates of appointment, promotion etc. The dates do differ. But nothing prevents this court from modulating the relief and giving directions to the respondents to Fe-consider the offending lists with reference to each of the petitioners in the light of what follows. The second objection has been met by the pelllloners by impleading those who will be affected as respondent Nos. 3 to 8, as per orders of this Court dated 11.8.1983. y ' G The method of recruitment under challenge is contained in eel- ~ umns 10 and 11 of the schedule to the rules which is given below: Method of recruitment whether by direct recruitment or by H promotion or by In case of recruitment by promotion/deputation transfer grades from which promotion/deputation A.N. PATHAK v. MINISTRY OF DEFENCE [KHALID, J.] 285 deputation/transfer transfer to be made. A and percentage of the vacancies to be filled by various methods. -- B --i 10 11 -Y Senior Technical Officer Promotion: (i) 50% by promotion Technical Officer with failing which by 5 years service in the c direct recruitment grade rendered after 'i appointment thereto on (ii) 50% by direct recruitment a regular basis: (iii) Failing (i) and (ii) provided that if an officer above, by Fe-employ- is considered for promotion D ment. in accordance with the provisions of these Rules/ all persons senior to him ~ (iv) Failing (iii) above in that grade shall also be by promotion. considered notwithstanding that they may not have E - rendered the prescribed number of years of regular service in that grade. ·- -... t Technical Officers: Promotion: F (i) 50% by promotion Junior Technical Officer with failing which by 3 years service in the grade direct recruitment. rendered after appointment thereto on a regular basis: (ii) 50% by direct recruit- Provided that if an Officer ment is con.sidered for promotion G in accordance with the (iii) Failing (i) and provisions of these rules, (ii) above, by all persons senior to him Fe-employment in that grade shall also be considered notwithstanding H A (iv) Failing (iii) by promotion that they may not have ren­ dered the prescribed number of years of regular service in that grade. Note: All eligible candidates have to qualify in a written departmental examination of a degree standard. Re-employment: ...... . The manner in which !he above provision works to the detriment of the promotees is as follows. A person who is working as a Senior Technical Officer must have a minimum service of five years in that grade for promotion to the higher post. A direct recruit who joins D service much later and who does not have the requisite five years service will be placed above him for promotion. The posts to be filled in by direct recruitment are kept vacant and as and when recruitment is made, the names ·of direct recruits are inserted at the places reserved for them regardless of the fact that E there are many others who had put in more years of service than they. ·This method works an additional hardship to the promotees in that they will not be confirmed though the required probation period has been completed by them, only to allow the direct recruits to complete their period of probation. 1be combined operation of clause 10 and 11, according to the petitioner causes a double damage to them and the F direct recruits consequently have double advantage. Annexure 'C' to the writ petition is the seniority list relating to the Senior Technical Officers. In this list, places 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 are kept vacant. These places will be filled in when direct recruits come. They will steal a march over those who have entered service G earlier. The latter will be pushed down in the list. We do not think it necessary to refer to the various decisions rendered by this Court on this question. In the case of A. Janardhana v. Union of India and others, AIR 1983 SC 769; O.P. Sing/a and Anr. v. Union of India and others, [1985] 1 SCR 351 and in G.S. Lamba & H Ors. v. Union of India & Ors., AIR 1985 SC 1019, length of service - A.N. PATIJAK v. MINISTRY OF DEFENCE [KHALID, J.] 287 was given due importance in dealing with promotions and seniority. In A "I the case of Narender Chadha v. Union of India, AIR 1986 SC 638 to which one of us was a party, it was held that to treat continuous officiation of one officer as temporary would be arbitrary and violative of Articles 14 and 16, In G.K. Dudani and Ors. v. S.D. Sharma and Ors., AIR 1986 SC 1455 a three Judge Bench of this Court, Madon J, speaking for the Bench,, approved the settled principle noted above. B The promotees come into service, not by any fortuitous circumstances -1 but they form an integral part of the regular cadre entitled to all benefits by the length of their service. -( The learned counsel for the respondent found it difficult to '· justify the validity of the rules and the lists in the light of the various c decisions of this Court which have consistently leaned in favour of the 1 promotees based on their length of service and ·seniority, in cases where there was inordinate delay in making direct recruitment. He tried to justify the inequity saying that the new rules have tried to rectify it. We are not satisfied with this explanation since that is little D consolation to the petitioners. We are of the view that the grievance of the petitioners is justified in law. The rules enabling the authorities to fill in vacancies for direct recruits as and when recruitment is made and thereby destroying the chances of promotion to those who are already in service cannot but be viewed with disfavour. If the authorities want to adhere to the rules strictly all that is necessary is to be prompt in E making the direct recruitment. Delay in making appointments by - direct recruitment should not visit the promotees with adverse conse- quences, denying them the benefit of their service. . ..__ The learned counsel for the respondent Nos. l and 2 made a fervent plea that, being a sensitive department, relief may be granted F i to the petitioners by way of monetary compensation and requested us to desist from upsetting the list. We cannot accede to this request. The petitioners had sought stay of operation of the list. This Court by its order dated 4.9.1978 declined to grant stay, but ordered: "any action taken in the matter in regard to the grievances of the G petitioners in this case will be subject to the fmal result of this writ petition." In our Judgment, the petitioners are entitled to succeed. We allow this writ petition and direct the authorities to Fe-draw the seno- rity list dated 25.7.1977, 3.9.1977 and 7.9.1977, appended as Anne- H 288 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1987) 2 S.C.R. xures 'C', 'D' and 'E' the writ petition and prepare the list afresh A giving the petitioners the positions they would have been entitled to, V but for the offending portions of clauses 10 and 11 in the schedule to the rules. There will be no order as to costs. M.L.A. Petition allowed.