1. The short issue that engaged the attention of the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal, Hyderabad (for short the Tribunal) was whether the 15% quota earmarked for special categories, such as Police Executive (PE)-5%, Police Ministerial (PM)-1%, Meritorious Sports Person (MSP)-2%, Children of Police Personnel (CPP)-2%, Children of Police Personnel of A.P Police who died due to violence of extremists in duty and who were incapacitated/medical invalidation due to violence while on duty (CDI)-2% and National Cadet Corps (NCC)-3%, is a separate category by itself to be treated as a vertical reservation or a horizontal reservation among the social/communal reserved categories in the matter of promotion to the posts of Sub-Inspectors.

2. It is not in dispute that as per the Andhra Pradesh Police (Stipendiary Cadet Trainee) Rules, 1999 (for short the Rules), the following quotas were fixed:

50% for direct recruitees

30% for promotion of Head Constables and Assistant Sub-Inspectors of Police

5% for appointment by transfer from Reserve Sub-Inspectors of Armed Reserve and Andhra Pradesh Special Police (AR/APSP)

15% for special categories referred to above.

3. Indeed, in the first round