In Brief
Two Border Security Force officers challenged their supersession for promotion, relying on a Supreme Court judgment requiring that adverse annual confidential report entries be communicated. The High Court ordered retrospective consideration for promotion from their date of supersession, over 17-20 years earlier. The Supreme Court reversed this, holding that while the prior judgment correctly stated the law, belated claims cannot be revived by subsequent pronouncements. A reasonable time to challenge promotion denial is 6 months to a year; administrative representations do not excuse delay. Granting retrospective promotion after such delay would cause administrative chaos, unsettle rights of already-promoted officers, and impose financial burden on government. The appeals were allowed and the High Court order set aside."
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