S. VINOD KUMAR vs U O I

The Supreme Court reaffirmed that Article 16(4) does not allow for reservations in promotions, as established in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India, and clarified that existing reservations shall remain effective for five years from the date of that judgment. The Court held that while concessions and relaxations for reserved categories in promotions are permissible, they must not compromise administrative efficiency. It emphasized that lower qualifying marks or evaluation standards for promotions are impermissible, although some relaxation may be allowed in direct recruitment for OBCs, SCs, and STs, consistent with administrative efficiency.