Promotions in public service must balance individual rights with public interest, emphasizing necessary experience for senior positions.

JUDGMENT

[VIA VIDEO CONFERENCING]

Rajiv Sahai Endlaw, J. The six petitioners had earlier filed W.P.(C) No.8744/2011 and connected petition in this Court, impugning Rule 5(A)(1)(d) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Rules, 1955, whereby a separate cadre for women incumbents had been prescribed up to the rank of Inspector, for the Mahila Battalion. The said writ petition was allowed vide judgment dated 24th May, 2013 and it was directed that, (i) a common seniority list of Sub Inspectors (GD), irrespective of their gender, based on their entry point seniority, be prepared; (ii) in case any Mahila Sub Inspector had not undertaken the course for promotion as Inspector, she shall be permitted to do so and appointed as Inspector and be deemed to have been appointed immediately before a person lower than her as per the entry point seniority; (iii) such of the petitioners who had completed the promotion course, shall be deemed to have been promoted as Inspector on the date when their immediate juniors were promoted; and, (iv) the aforesaid directions would also bind the promotions from Inspector to Assistant Commandant.

2. The respondents preferred SLP (C) No.6547-6548/2014 against the aforesaid judgment and which was granted and converted to Civil Appeal No.9840-9841/2014. Vide order dated 16th October, 2014, Supreme Court, though set aside the judgment of this Court insofar as striking down Rule 5(A)(1)(d) of the CRPF Rules, but directed that members belonging to the cadre of Sub Inspector and Inspector will be guided thereby and, "the rest of the cadres will also be guided by this judgment from prospective date" and upheld the judgment of this Court insofar as it related to seniority list of male and female Sub Inspectors, leaving the competent authority free to issue seniority list in accordance with the Rules till separate cadres were created.

3. The contention of the counsel for the petitioners is, that (i) in the interregnum, immediate juniors of the petitioners at the point of entry had been promoted as Assistant Commandants; and, (ii) though in pursuance to the judgments aforesaid of this Court and Supreme Court, the petitioners have also been promoted as Assistant Commandants and given their due seniority but have not been granted the Senior Time Scale, owing to having actually not served the requisite residency period at the post of Assistant Commandant and the petitioners apprehend that owing thereto, the respondents CRPF, in the matter of promotion of the petitioners from the post of Assistant Commandant to Deputy Commandant, will also not grant promotion to the petitioners from the date when their immediate juniors at the entry point were granted such promotion, thereby leaving the petitioners to serve under those other juniors to them in the seniority list.

4. The counsel for the respondents CRPF states that as stated in the counter affidavit filed, the respondents CRPF are awaiting the decision in this regard from the respondent no.1 Ministry of Home Affairs.

5. We have enquired from the counsel for the petitioners, whether not the purpose of providing for residency period is to enable personnel, before promotion to the next post, to acquire the experience of the preceding post for the requisite period. It has been enquired, whether not promoting the petitioners to Deputy Commandant, before the petitioners have served the requisite residency period of the post of Assistant Commandant, would result in the petitioners acquiring the post of Deputy Commandant without having the experience of the post of Assistant Commandant and be prejudicial to public interes