IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA

CWP No.16746 of 2025

Decided on: 3rd December, 2025

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Santosh Kumar Rana and others …..Petitioners

Versus

State of H.P. and another .....Respondents -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coram o

Ms. Justice Jyotsna Rewal Du a

Whether approved for reporting?1

For the Petitioners: uMr. Sanjeev Bhushan, Senior Advocate

with Mr. Sohail Khan, Advocate.

For the Respondents: Mr. Rajat Choudhry, Assistant

Advocate General.

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Jyotsna Rewal Dua, Judge

Petitioners, 08 in number, all aged more than 57

years, are serving as Lecturers (School Cadre) in the respondent-Education Department. Four of them are going

Hto superannuate on 31.12.2025. They have preferred this

writ petition essentially seeking direction to the respondents to complete and conclude the process for making promotions to the post of Principal (School Cadre), so that they earn benefits of promotion before their

retirement.

Whether reporters of print and electronic media may be allowed to see the order? Yes.

2. Petitioners were appointed as Lecturers (School Cadre) in different streams by the respondents during the years 1999 and 2000. They have been serving as such for the past about 25 years. The next channel of p.romotion available to them is to the post of Principal (School Cadre). In accordance with the applicable Recruitm ent & Promotion Rules, posts of Principal (School oCadre) are to be filled-in 50% by promotion of Lecturers (School Cadre) and 50% by promotion of Headmasters. The respondents have not disputed that the uLecturers (School Cadre) were lastly ‘placed as Principals in the year 2014’ and their services were regularized much later during the years 2023 & 2024. It has also been asserted for the petitioners that the last Lecturers promoted to the posts of Principal (School Cadre) were placed at Seniority Position Nos.3298 (General Category), 3824 (Scheduled Caste Category) and 3953 H(Scheduled Tribe Category).

3. Learned Senior Counsel for the petitioners submitted that the petitioners with seniority placements at Sr. Nos.3367, 3368, 3369, 3370, 3502, 3591, 3863 & 4615 are close behind and expect to fall in the zone of consideration for promotion from Lecturer (School Cadre) to the post of Principal (School Cadre). Petitioners’ grievance stems from the fact that the respondents have not convened the meeting of Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) since long. Petitioners apprehend that they would end up their service career without getting even a single pro.motion.

The respondents in their reply have not denied impending retirement of four of the petitioners on 31.12.2025 and the fact that reomaining petitioners have also crossed the age of 57 years & are due to retire soon. The only defense worth consideration offered by the respondents in theiur reply is that the Department did not proceed with the placements in the year 2024 in view of a Court order, but has now started the process for making promotions; Panel has already been prepared after obtaining Vigilance Clearance, Integrity Certificates and Annual Confidential Reports etc.; Proposal for making promotions was submitted to Himachal Pradesh Public HService Commission (HPPSC) in July, 2025. HPPSC had raised certain objections in the proposal, which in terms of the reply, were under active consideration in the Department. Reply also states that the Department is exploring the possibilities to hold DPC at its own level by getting relaxation of consulting HPPSC in order to consume less time and to shorten the process to hold DPC; For this purpose, the Department has submitted the matter for approval before the Cabinet.

4. When this matter was taken up on 01.12.2025, learned Deputy Advocate General placed on. record instructions dated 29.11.2025 from the Secretary (Edu