NIRMAL KUMAR CHOUDHARY & ORS. ETC. vs STATE OF BIHAR AND ORS., ETC.

The Supreme Court partially allowed the appeals against the High Court's judgment quashing certain orders related to the combined gradation list of engineers in the Agriculture Department. The Court held that while seniority should generally be based on length of service, the inter se seniority within respective departments should not be disturbed. The High Court's direction to prepare a fresh combined gradation list was upheld, but the basis for seniority was modified from confirmation to length of service, ensuring fairness in the merger of different cadres under Section 16 of the Bihar Service Code.