Union Of India And Anr. Etc. Etc. vs Lalita S. Rao & Ors. Etc. Etc.

The Supreme Court addressed the issue of seniority among Assistant Medical Officers appointed on an ad hoc basis by the Railway Administration, ruling that such appointments were not in accordance with the Recruitment Rules framed under Article 309 of the Constitution. The Court held that all doctors appointed on an ad hoc basis up to October 1, 1984, should be regularized based on their performance evaluated by the Union Public Service Commission, while those appointed after this date would not be entitled to regularization. The judgment emphasized adherence to statutory recruitment processes and the importance of regularization for ad hoc appointees.