VINOD VERMA vs UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.

The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Central Administrative Tribunal regarding the fixation of seniority among Sub-Divisional Engineers in the Telecommunications Engineering Service (Group 'B') under the Telecommunications Engineering Service (Group 'B' Posts) Recruitment Rules, 1996. The Court clarified that seniority should be determined based on the date of joining rather than the notional date of promotion, thereby affirming the principle that promotions based on seniority-cum-fitness and competitive examinations must be treated equitably. The appeal against the High Court's dismissal of the writ petition was dismissed, maintaining the Tribunal's ruling.