In Brief
A Forest Range Officer (FRO) from Andhra Pradesh challenged his exclusion from consideration for promotion to the Indian Forest Service. The Court held that FROs, as members of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Service with gazetted status, are eligible for such promotion under the Recruitment Rules 1966. The Court clarified that Central Government approval under the rules relates to the service as a whole, not individual posts. However, because the appellant delayed raising his grievance for over six years after becoming eligible, he was denied relief for past promotion exercises. The Court granted limited prospective relief, directing that FROs be considered for future recruitment exercises for the Indian Forest Service.
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