In Brief
A police officer was not selected for Indian Police Service (IPS) promotion in 2008 despite being graded 'Good' by the Selection Committee. She challenged the decision before the Central Administrative Tribunal and High Court, which set aside the non-selection by reassessing her records. The Supreme Court allowed the Union Public Service Commission's appeal, holding that courts cannot sit in appellate review over an expert Selection Committee's merit-based assessment. The Court reaffirmed that Selection Committees have exclusive authority to classify officers independently of State Government gradings, and courts can interfere only on grounds of bias, malice, or arbitrariness—none of which were present here. The Court also clarified the correct period for Annual Confidential Reports in selection decisions.
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