In Brief
Karnataka's 2002 Act granted consequential seniority to SC/ST candidates promoted on reservation roster points. The Supreme Court struck down Sections 3 and 4 as unconstitutional. The Court held that granting consequential seniority requires mandatory proof of inadequacy of representation, backwardness, and maintained administrative efficiency—not present here. The Act violated Articles 14 and 16 by allowing junior SC/ST officers to leapfrog senior general-category officers in seniority without proper justification. Without such proof, the traditional 'catch-up' rule applies, meaning senior candidates regain seniority upon later promotion. The decision protects those already retired and financial benefits taken but requires review of serving employees' seniority lists.
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