BHAGWAN DAS AND OTHERS vs INDIAN COUNCIL. OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND OTHERS

The Supreme Court dismissed the writ petition filed by 39 promotees to the post of Assistant in the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, holding that in the absence of satisfactory proof of their date of appointment, they could not claim violation of Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution. The Court established that seniority must be determined based on the date of regular appointment, not the date of exercising the option to join the reorganized society. The Court found no significant injustice to the promotees in the seniority list prepared by the Society, as the gap between promotees and direct recruits was minimal.