Judgment

A.K. SIKRI, J.

Leave granted. Impleadment and intervention applications are allowed.

2) The issue which arises for consideration in these appeals lies within a narrow campus and is crisp one, though at the same time it is of seminal importance for the parties before us. It relates to the rule of reservation of the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the promotion in the officer grade/scale in the appellant Banks. There is no dispute that the appellant Banks, which are statutory/public sector banks, are following the applicable guidelines of the Central Government pertaining to reservation of SC and ST employees insofar as their promotion from clerical grade to officer grade is concerned. The question to be answered is as to whether there is any reservation in the promotions from one officer grade/scale to another grade/scale, when such promotions are made on selection basis. As per the appellant Banks, there is no rule of reservation for promotion in the Class A (Class-I) to the posts/scales having basic salary of more than Rs. 5,700/- and in the relevant instructions, issued in the form of Office Memoranda, only a concession is provided in the manner officers