Dinesh Kumar Gupta and others vs High Court of Judicature of Rajasthan others

Bench: 2 — Uday Umesh Lalit, Vineet Saran

In Brief

This case involved competing claims for seniority among judicial officers in Rajasthan's District Judge cadre, encompassing three recruitment streams: merit-cum-seniority promotees, Limited Competitive Examination candidates, and direct recruits. The Court held that ad-hoc Fast Track Court appointments confer no seniority rights; substantive appointment date determines seniority. The 47 officers promoted in April 2010 stand separate from those appointed in 2013 (no Cyclic Order applies). Critically, LCE candidates' seniority must be based on examination merit—not feeder cadre seniority—to incentivize meritorious competition. The Court partially allowed petitions, requiring the High Court to reframe seniority lists to reflect LCE candidates' merit ranking.",

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Judicial Service Seniority Recruitment Fast Track Courts Limited Competitive Examination Direct Recruitment Administrative Law Cadre Management

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