M.SURESH NATHAN vs UNION OF INDIA .

The Supreme Court held that under the Recruitment Rules for Assistant Engineers in the Public Works Department, Pondicherry, the three years of service required for promotion must commence from the date of obtaining a Degree by Diploma-holders. The Court found that the Central Administrative Tribunal erred in including prior service as a Diploma-holder for this calculation. The appeal by Degree-holders was allowed, affirming that only service as a Degree-holder counts towards the three-year requirement for promotion under Rule 11.