Ramachandra Ayyar, C.J.

The appellants in the above appeals are employees under the Life Insurance Corporation of India and they have appealed from the judgment of Rajagopalan, J. rejecting their applications under Art. 226 of the constitution for the issue of a writ of mandamus, directing the respondent (Life Insurance Corporation of India, represented by its Zonal manager) to reinstate them to the same office with all rights and privileges attached thereto respectively held by them in the various insurance units before their integration into the Life Insurance Corporation of India. The appellants claim that they had been appointed by the various business insurance companies prior to their integration with the Insurance Corporation of India, as administrative and supervisory officers but that after the corporation came into being they were demoted to the position of field officers contrary to the statutory guarantee contained in S.11(1) of the Life Insurance Corporation Act (which will hereinafter be referred to as the Act). By the petitions out of which these appeals arise, the appellants prayed for reinstatement to their original offices which according to them would