Authority: Supreme Court of India (Civil Appellate Jurisdiction)
Order Date: 17 September 2026
Case Overview
- Parties: Appellant Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and another vs. Respondents G.N. Mani Ravinder and others.
- The dispute concerned promotion of private respondents serving on an officiating basis to the post of Assistant Director (Official Language), renamed Rajbhasha Adhikari.
- Earlier High Court judgments had directed BSNL to consider the respondents for promotion under the rules existing prior to the 2005 Recruitment Rules.
- The Department of Telecommunications had created Hindi Translator grades and later the 2002 and 2005 Recruitment Rules; the 2002 Rules were never brought into operation.
- BSNL argued that the respondents had no vested right to promotion under the pre‑2005 rules and should be subject to the internal competitive examination mandated by the 2005 Rules.
- Counsel for BSNL (Piyush Sharma) and DoT (Archana Pathak Dave) relied on the Supreme Court’s Mishri Lal decision; respondents’ counsel (G. Arudhra Rao) relied on the Medini C. decision.
Final Outcome
- The Supreme Court held that the respondents, being on officiating basis, have no vested right to promotion under the old rules, applying the ratio from Raj Kumar (supra).
- The High Court’s orders directing promotion were set aside.
- The appeals filed by BSNL were allowed.
- All pending applications were disposed of.
Topics: Promotion Law; Telecom Employment