R.K. SETHI & ANR. vs OIL & NATURAL GAS COMMISSION & ORS.

The Supreme Court addressed the issue of seniority and promotion within the Oil and Natural Gas Commission, specifically concerning the Assistant Grade-II (AG-II) and Telex operators. The Court held that the merger of the Telex operator category into AG-II should consider the total service rendered by employees in both categories for promotion purposes, as outlined in the Executive Instructions issued under the Recruitment and Promotion Regulations, 1980. The Court emphasized that inter-se seniority must be fixed based on the length of service in the respective pay scales, thereby ensuring fair promotion opportunities.