Sukhdev Singh vs Union Of India & Ors

The Supreme Court referred the matter to a larger bench to resolve inconsistencies in prior judgments regarding the downgrading of Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) and its implications for promotions under service rules. The Court noted that while an adverse remark must be communicated, a downgrade from 'Very Good' to 'Good' may not constitute an adverse entry requiring communication. The case examines the interpretation of service rules and the necessity of communicating downgrades in performance evaluations, as established in U.P. Jal Nigam vs. Prabhat Chandra Jain (1996) 2 SCC 363.