In Brief
The Supreme Court dismissed appeals challenging the High Court's dismissal of a writ petition regarding promotion to Sub-Inspector rank in Uttar Pradesh Police. The appellants, who had failed to secure minimum 50 marks in certain subjects despite achieving an overall aggregate score, contended that selection should be based on aggregate marks (paper-wise) rather than subject-wise. The Court held that the statutory requirement of obtaining minimum 50 marks in each subject is mandatory and cannot be circumvented by focusing on aggregate score. Selection must assess candidates subject-wise to comply with the U.P. Sub-Inspector and Inspector Service Rules, 2008. Merit, while important, cannot override mandatory statutory eligibility criteria established by the service rules."
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