S. RAVINDRA BHAT, J.

1. This common judgment disposes of two writ petitions one - preferred by promotee officers to the Delhi-Andaman & Nicobar Islands Police Service (hereafter “DANIPS”)- being W.P.(C) 5973/2003 and the other, W.P.(C) 598/2004, by the Union of India. Both petitions impugn the correctness of two orders of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in OA 1418/2002, dated 26-02-2003 and the order dated 01-04-2003, rejecting the review petition (RA 87/2003). The earlier petition was listed today. When it was taken up, parties mentioned about W.P.(C) 598/2004. With consent of parties, that matter too was directed to be listed, and was finally heard along with W.P.(C) 5973/2003.

2. The Petitioners in W.P.(C) 5973/2003 (hereafter called “the promotees”) belong to DANIPS. Appointment to that service is through two channels, spelt out in Rule 5 of the Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service Recruitment Rules, 1971; it is in the ratio of 1: 1 as between promotees and direct recruits, which can, for reasons to be recorded, be varied in the exigencies of public service. The Petitioners were appointed by promotion, after their selection through the proced