Two appeals were thereupon preferred to this Court after obtaining a certificate of fitness from the Delhi High Court, Civil Appeal No.
From the Judgment and Order dated 11 5 1973 of the Delhi High Court in Civil Writ No.
P. Rao and A.K. Ganguli for Respondents 1.2, 4, 6 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 32, 34 35.
The depart ments falling within the first group were known as the general departments, while the departments falling within the other four groups were known as the specialised depart ments.
690 of 1972 in the Delhi High Court challenging the validity of the Combined Seniority Scheme on various grounds relatable to Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution.
The Association companytinued to agitate for acceptance of its demand and ultimately, as a result of negotiations, an agreement dated 7th May, 1972 was arrived at between the.
Reserve Bank and the Association by which the demand of the Association was substantially companyceded and the principle of a companybined seniority list was accepted by the Reserve Bank.
1408 of 1974 by the Association.
1408 of 1974.
1231 of 1973 by the Reserve Bank and Civil Appeal No.
2, 4, 6 18, 20, 22, 23, 25 32, 34 and 35.
Sen and I. N. Shroff for Respondent 36.
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION Civil Appeal Nos.
Though recruitment to these different groups of departments was made on a companymon basis, each group of departments was treat ed as a separate unit for the purpose of determining the seniority and promotion of the employees within that group and this was done on centrewise basis.
1408/74 .
1231/73 V. Gupte, P.P. Rao and A.K. Ganguli for Respondent Nos.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by BHAGWATI, J. The Reserve Bank of India is the appel lant in Civil Appeal No.
Some out of them were graduates, while others were number graduates.
Both the Reserve Bank and the Association seek to sustain the validi ty of the Combined Seniority Scheme in these appeals sub stantially on the same grounds.
This judgment of the High Court is also assailed by the All India Reserve Bank Employees Association hereinafter referred to as the Association by preferring Civil Appeal No.
1231 of 1973 and 1408 of 197.
K. Ramamurthi, C. N. Murti and R. C Pathak for Re spondent 36.
690 of 1972 filed by some of the employees of the Reserve Bank challenging the validity of the companybined seniority Scheme issued by the Reserve Bank of India by its Circular dated 13th May, 1972.
This appeal, on certificate, is directed against a judgment of the High Court of Delhi allowing Writ Petition No.
1408 of 1974 after obtaining certificate from the High Court.
Sen, and L N. Shroff for the Appellant in Appeal No.
Both these appeals have been heard together since they are directed against the same judgment and all the arguments raised on behalf of the appellants are also companymon except one additional argument advanced on behalf of ,the Association in Civil Appeal No.
K. Ramamurthi, C.N. Murti and R. C Pathak for the Appellant in Appeal No.
The petitioners were ,aggrieved by the Combined Seniority Scheme since according to them it affected their chances of companyfirmation and promotion and placed them in a disadvantageous position and accordingly they filed Civil Writ No.
While Grade 1 and Grade II clerks in the specialised departments were invariably gradu ates, those in the general departments were number always so.
1231 of 1973.
that is, Banking Department, Issue Department, Public Debt Division and Exchange Control Department 2 Group II Department of Banking Operations, Development and InduStrial Finance Department and Department of Non banking Companies 3 Group III Agricultural Credit Department, 4 Group IV Economic Department and Department of Statistics and 5 Group V Industrial Development Bank of India.
690/72 .
But in companyrse of time other functions came to be added as a result of various statutes passed by the Parliament from time to time to meet the economic needs of the companyntry.
The administrative machinery of the Reserve Bank for carrying out these diverse functions was at the material time divided into the following five groups of departments 1 Group I General Side.
