KESHAV CHANDRA JOSHI vs U.O.I. .

The Supreme Court ruled that under the U.P. Forest Service Rules, 1952, promotees appointed on an ad hoc basis cannot claim seniority over direct recruits solely based on their continuous service. The Court emphasized that the Governor's power to relax rules requires mandatory consultation with the Public Service Commission, interpreting 'may' in Rule 27 as 'shall'. The Court held that the promotees' ad hoc appointments did not equate to substantive appointments under the rules, thus their service could not be counted for seniority purposes.