M.K. SHANMUGAM vs UNION OF INDIA .

The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Central Administrative Tribunal regarding the seniority of Executive Engineers, emphasizing that promotions must adhere to the statutory recruitment rules. The Court clarified that the seniority of Assistant Engineers Class II should be finalized based on the principles of seniority-cum-merit and seniority-cum-fitness as outlined in the relevant recruitment rules. The Court affirmed the Tribunal's corrective action to revise the seniority list, ensuring compliance with prior judgments, including Direct Recruit Class II Engineering Officers’ Association v. State of Maharashtra, 1990 (2) SCC 715.