Judgment

BALAKRISHNA ERADI, J.:- In this petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, the petitioners - 31 in number - who are all officers serving in the Aviation Research Centre (for short, the ARC) have challenged the constitutionality of Rules 6 to 8 of the "Aviation Research Centre (Technical) Services Rules, 1976" issued by the President of India under the proviso to Article 309, of the Constitution as also the legality and validity of the "absorption" of respondents Nos. 8 to 67 in the said Department pursuant to the impugned Rules. There is a further prayer in the writ petition to declare the Seniority List dated November 6, 1978 (Annexure G) published by the Department as illegal, unconstitutional and void yet another relief claimed by the petitioners is that all the promotions granted to respondents Nos. 8 to 67 in the ARC service from 1968 till 1978 should be declared by this Court as illegal and void, and that a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order or direction should be issued to respondents Nos. 1 to 7 - the Union of India, the Cabinet Secretary, the Director of Department of Personnel, the Director General of Security, the Director of ARC and