#Departmental Promotion

CAT Cuttack holds that cancelling a departmental selection process after completion of written exams-without valid justification-breaches principles of natural justice and Railway Board directives. The ruling reinforces that administrative discretion cannot override procedural fairness in promotions, impacting railway employees' career progression rights.

MP High Court rules that denial of promotion based on uncommunicated Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) violates principles of natural justice. The petitioner is entitled to promotion from the date his junior was promoted, along with consequential benefits, as adverse ACRs must be disclosed before affecting career progression.

MP High Court rules that employees cannot be denied backwages under 'no work no pay' if promotion delays stem from departmental errors. The petitioner is entitled to full arrears with interest from the date of entitlement, reinforcing accountability in service law.

Karnataka High Court rules that inter-district transfer conditions prevail over prior service eligibility, placing transferred employees at the bottom of the seniority list. The judgment bars contempt proceedings to enforce promotional outcomes post-compliance, reinforcing administrative rules over individual claims.

The Karnataka High Court ruled that statutory eligibility criteria, including mandatory training, supersede seniority in civil service promotions. A junior officer may be promoted over a senior if the latter fails to meet prescribed qualifications, reinforcing merit-based advancement under service law.

Madhya Pradesh High Court holds that sealed cover for promotion must be opened after exoneration in prior disciplinary proceedings, entitling employee to notional promotion and arrears.

Chhattisgarh High Court holds that procedural irregularities alone cannot justify cancellation of a departmental promotion exam; definitive proof of inextricable malpractice is mandatory.