( 1 ) THESE appeals are directed against the judgment of the central administrative tribunal, Patna bench, before whom the appellants had claimed seniority over Respondents 5, 6, 7 and 8 in the cadre of Statistical assistant under the Census Organisation. In the Census Organisation, the hierarchy of posts starts from Assistant Compiler and then Computer, statistical Assistant, Tabulation Officer and then Investigator. The appellants joined the organisation as Assistant Compilers in May-June 1970; whereas respondents 5, 6 and 7 were also appointed as Assistant Compilers on 2-6-1970 and Respondent 8 had been appointed on 22/7/1970. There were no recruitment rules then in force, and persons were promoted on ad hoc basis to the posts of Computers and then also to Statistical Assistants. The recruitment rules came into force in the year 1973. After the recruitment rules came into force, the government took the task of considering the cases of all ad hoc promotees in different ranks by constituting a Departmental promotion Committee, and on the basis of the recommendation of the said departmental Promotion Committee, regularised the services of different employees in different ranks. As