In Brief
A government employee belonging to the Indian Telecom Group A received 'Very Good' ACR gradings for 2005–2006 and 2006–2007, but was graded only 'Good' in 2007–2008 by the same reporting officer, making him ineligible for promotion to SAG. The remarks for 2007–2008 were extreme and contradictory to earlier assessments. The Tribunal and High Court directed the Screening Committee to reassess him excluding the 2007–2008 ACR as arbitrary and inconsistent. The Supreme Court upheld this, holding that the drastic unexplained downgrade without prior caution or opportunity to improve violated natural justice and Article 14, and the representation rejection lacked valid reasons.
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