1. Pursuant to the combined competitive examination conducted by the Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission, the petitioner came to be appointed directly in the gazetted cadre of the State services and joined her services as such in the year 1984. By dint of her merit and seniority the petitioner reached the super time scale of the J&K Administrative Service and was holding the rank of Commissioner/Secretary to Government at the time when this petition came to be filed. The petitioner on the basis of her seniority of the KAS officers working in the State and other eligibility conditions as laid down in the Indian Administrative Service (Appointment by Promotion) Regulations, 1955 (hereinafter referred to as “the Regulations”), became entitled to be considered for appointment by promotion to the Indian Administrative Service against the slots allocated to the State of Jammu & Kashmir for the year 2010.

2. The Central Government in consultation with the State Government had determined and allocated six vacancies for the year 2010 which is evident from communication of DOPT issued vide No.14015/09/2011 dated 31.05.2011. At the request of State Government, three out of the