In Brief
The Supreme Court upheld a Kolkata Municipal Corporation circular creating supernumerary posts for Sub-Assistant Engineers (SAEs) to Assistant Engineers, with different eligibility criteria based on educational qualifications. Diploma-holding SAEs needed 25 years' service for promotion, while degree-holding SAEs needed only 13 years. The Court held that classification based on educational qualifications does not violate Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution where it bears a reasonable nexus to achieving administrative efficiency. Since persons promoted to Assistant Engineer perform substantive higher-level functions, the educational qualification requirement remains valid. The Court dismissed the appellants' appeal, upholding the Division Bench's decision."
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