SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
K. JAGANNATHA SHETTY AND YOGESHWAR DAYAL, JJ.
COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL OF INDIA AND ANOTHER
Versus
K.S. JAGANNATHAN.
Civil Appeal No. 4525 of 1989, decided on July 9,1991
Constitution of India,1950 - Seeking clarification - Whether relief granted by Central Administrative Tribunal in favor of respondent is in accordance with the judgment of this Court in Comptroller and Auditor General - Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes that is this relaxation will cover not only pass marks to be given in aggregate but will be inclusive of pass marks to be given in each individual paper so that the total number of marks covered by such relaxation will not exceed - Respondents and all other candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes who will pass aid examinations as a result of above relaxation are declared to have passed such examinations and to have been promoted to Subordinate Accounts Service in vacancies reserved for members of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes with effect from the date when final declaration of results of each such examination was made and will be paid such salary and shall be entitled to all other benefits on basis of such promotion with effect from said - So far as seniority is concerned however they will not rank above those who have already passed and have been promoted but will be placed in the seniority list - Held, Respondent is entitled to carry forward vacancies from the year and he is entitled to be promoted against the carry forward vacancy from the recruitment year as Assistant Audit Officer and again thereafter for the post of Audit Officer following the same principle - Tribunal has also observed that the judgment of this Court cannot deny him these promotional benefits - But the result of this reasoning is incompatible with the decision of this Court - But it is important to point out that relief could not have been allowed by Tribunal since it was specifically directed by this Court that he should be ranked below all those persons who had passed till then the SAS examination and promoted - Tribunal also ought to have known that relief which the respondent sought before the Tribunal was denied to him by this Court in the clarification order - Appeal allowed
ORDER
1. The only question that arises for consideration in this appeal is whether the relief granted by the Central Administrative Tribunal in favour of the respondent is in accordance with the judgment of this Court in Comptroller and Auditor General of India v. K.S. Jagannathan {(1986) 2 SCC 679 at 705-06}. The relevant portion of the judgment reads: (SCC pp. 705-06, para 40)
"For Part II examination of the Subordinate Accounts Service Examination (Ordinary) and all subsequent Part II examinations of the Subordinate Accounts Service Examination (Ordinary) held hereafter until today there will be a relaxation of 25 marks in all for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, that is, this relaxation will cover not only the pass marks to be given in the aggregate but will be inclusive of the pass marks to be given in each individual paper so that the total number of marks covered by such relaxation will not exceed 25. The respondents and all other candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes who will pass the said examinations as a result of the above relaxation are declared to have passed such examinations and to have been promoted to the Subordinate Accounts Service in the vacancies reserved for the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes with effect from the date when the final declaration of the results of each such examination was made and will be paid such salary and shall be entitled to all other benefits on the basis of such promotion with effect from the said date. So far as seniority is concerned, however, they will not rank above those who have already passed and have been promoted but will be placed in the seniority list after all those who have passed in Part II of the Subordinate Accounts Service Examination (Ordinary) held so far, ranking inter se according to the rules relating to seniority set out in paragraph 184 of volume I of the Comptroller and Auditor Generals Manual of Standing Orders (Administrative)."
2. The facts leading to the above case are these. In December 1980, the respondent appeared for Part II examination of the Subordinate Accounts Service Examination which is a prescribed departmental examination for promotion. He was not declared successful. He claimed relaxation in awarding certain marks. That claim was not acceded to. Finally, he approached this Court in C.A. No. 2952 of 1984 in which he was given the relief as stated above. He was declared to have passed the Part II examination of the SAS examination, but a specific direction was issued that he should be ranked below all those who have already passed such examination and since been promoted. To be more specific, it was directed that he should be placed in the seniority list after all those who have passed Part n of the SAS examination held so far ranking inter se according to the rules relating to seniority set out in para 184 of volume I of the Comptroller and Auditor Generals Manual of Standing Orders (Administrative).
3. In obedience to the direction of this Court an order dated June 12, 1986 was made giving deemed promotion to the respondent as Section Officer w.e.f. June 12,1981 and he was ranked below all the persons who have passed the SAS examination earlier. Consequently, he was also given further promotion. The respondent was not satisfied with the benefits given to him. He approached this Court seeking clarification of the direction issued in his earlier case. He filed CMP No. 29943 of 1986 which was disposed of in the following terms:
"In view of the said direction, C and AG of India has rightly placed the respondents below to all those who had passed the examination held from 1980 onwards in the seniority list. The contention that this would violate the rule of seniority as embodied in para 184 of the Standing Orders cannot prevail. The rule as to inter se seniority set out in para 184 stands modified accordingly."
4. It will be seen from the above clarificatio
referred to : Comptroller and Auditor General of India v. K.S. Jagannathan
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