S S. SHARMA & ORS. vs UNION OF INDIA & ORS.

The Supreme Court upheld the validity of the Central Secretariat Service (Amendment) Rules, 1979, specifically sub-rule (2a) of Rule 12, which allows for a limited departmental competitive examination for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes candidates. The Court found that the petitioners did not challenge the validity of the office Memorandum dated 20th July, 1974, which reserved vacancies for these categories, and thus their arguments regarding the invalidity of the rules were dismissed. The Court emphasized the importance of adhering to written pleadings and the formal process for amendments in legal proceedings.