Govt. implements SC order on seniority list

Govt. implements SC order on seniority list

What has happened?

In a move that implies major shifts in bureaucracy, the State government has asked its departments to implement the seniority list as directed by the Supreme Court. This would mean that while thousands of general category employees will be promoted, many employees belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will have to be demoted to accommodate the general category employees

Background: SC struck downs the provision of consequential seniority list

The Supreme Court, in BK Pavitra vs. Union of India, had declared that the provisions of the Karnataka Determination of Seniority of the Government Servants Promoted on the Basis of Reservation (To the Posts in the Civil Services of the State) Act, t to the extent of doing away with the ‘catch up’ rule and providing for consequential seniority to persons belonging to SCs and STs on promotion against roster points, were ultra vires Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution

One month deadline

The court had on March 20 set a one-month deadline to implement the order

What now?

• About six lakh government employees, at least about 50,000 will see changes in their designations — either with a promotion or a demotion
• The departmental promotion committee will now screen the eligible candidates for promotion.
• The government has also sought a list of those to be demoted to see how the issue can be handled.