Judgment

MADON, J.:- This Appeal filed by Special Leave granted by this Court under Article 136 of the Constitution is directed against the judgment of a Division Bench of the Madras High Court in Writ Appeal No. 409 of 1982 and raises a question of importance to the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes working in the Department of Indian Audit and Accounts who seek promotion to the Subordinate Accounts Service.

2. The Respondents belong to the Scheduled Castes and are working as Selection Grade Auditors in the Department of Indian Audit and Accounts at Madras. The next promotional post for them is that of Section Officer in the same Department and in order to obtain such promotion, Selection Grade Auditors are required to pass the Subordinate Accounts Service Examination (hereinafter referred to as "the SAS Examination"). The SAS Examination consists of two parts, namely, Part I and Part II. Both the respondents have passed the Part II Examination held in December 1979. They appeared for the Part II Examination in December 1980. Both of them secured the minimum number of marks in each individual subject which was 40 per cent and in some papers more than the minim