The Supreme Court of India clarified that the Constitution does not specify criteria for government servant promotions, leaving this to the discretion of the legislature and executive. The bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, highlighted the flexibility in determining promotion norms within the administrative framework. This sheds light on the evolving emphasis on merit in promotion criteria. The judgment emphasized that ‘merit-cum-seniority’ and ‘seniority-cum-merit’ are not mandated by law but are flexible and fluid concepts, providing dynamic guidelines for developing promotion policies.
