In Brief
The State of U.P. appealed against a High Court judgment that had directed the state to grant relaxation in the 25-year service requirement to certain Superintending Engineers seeking promotion to Chief Engineer. The Supreme Court held that relaxation under the Relaxation Rules, 2006 is discretionary (indicated by the word 'may'), not a claimed right. The Court ruled that eligibility lists prepared in strict compliance with statutory promotion rules cannot be quashed merely because discretionary relaxation provisions exist. The Court allowed the appeal, quashed the High Court's mandamus order, and restored the validity of the eligibility lists excluding candidates who lacked the required 25 years of service.
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