Chairman And Managing Director Central ... vs Central Bank Of India Sc/St Employees ...

The Supreme Court held that the Office Memorandum (OM) dated August 13, 1997 does not provide for reservation in promotions for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) employees in banks, but rather offers a concession for senior SC/ST candidates within the zone of consideration for promotion. The Court clarified that while the reservation policy of the Central Government applies, the OM only allows for consideration based on seniority and fitness, not a guaranteed reservation. The judgment of the Madras High Court was thus set aside, affirming that promotions must be merit-based without reservation for SC/ST employees in this context.