Pragiyotish Gaonlia Bank & Anr vs Brijlal Das

The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Gauhati High Court directing the appellant Bank to promote the respondent to Officer Scale II Grade, emphasizing that the promotion process must adhere to the principles of merit-cum-seniority as outlined in the Bank's circulars. The Court clarified that the reservation policy for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, as per the NABARD guidelines, mandates automatic promotion for eligible candidates unless deemed unfit. The Court found that the respondent's exclusion from promotion was unjustified given the established criteria under the relevant circulars.