TARSEM LAL GAUTAM & ANOTHER vs STATE BANK OF PATIALA AND OTHERS

The Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of Regulation 7 of the State Bank of Patiala (Officers') Service Regulations, 1979, which categorized existing Grade A officers into Senior Management and Middle Management Grades based on their promotion dates. The Court ruled that the regulations did not merely revise pay scales but created new categories of posts, justifying differentiation based on qualitative differences in reliability and responsibility. The principle of 'equal pay for equal work' was not applicable in this case, leading to the dismissal of the petitioners' challenge.