Railway Authority Must Decide Promotion-Selection Grievance by Speaking Order Within Three Weeks

The applicants participated in a departmental selection for promotion to Train Manager (Goods) under the 60% departmental quota, pursuant to a notification dated 17 October 2025.

Although their names appeared among the candidates who passed the written examination, they were not included in the final panel dated 30 July 2026, which empanelled 25 candidates against 56 notified vacancies.

The applicants submitted a joint representation on 1 August 2026 and asked the Tribunal to direct its consideration.

The respondents maintained that the selection and panel complied with applicable rules and instructions.

Whether the applicants’ grievance concerning their non-inclusion in the final panel and the treatment of vacancies should be considered and decided by the competent authority.

Whether the Tribunal should determine the validity of the panel or the applicants’ entitlement to promotion in this proceeding.

The Tribunal did not apply or determine any specific statutory provision, reservation rule, or substantive precedent governing the selection.

The operative principle was that the competent authority should consider the applicants’ representation and issue a reasoned, speaking order in accordance with law, without the Tribunal expressing an opinion on the underlying entitlement.

The dispute required examination of records concerning the vacancies, selection process, written examination result, final panel, and allocation of vacancies.

Because the applicants had already submitted a representation and sought its consideration, the Tribunal considered it appropriate to refer the grievance to the competent authority rather than adjudicate the selection’s legality or the applicants’ entitlement to promotion at that stage.

The Tribunal expressly left those substantive questions open.

It directed the competent authority to consider and decide the representation dated 1 August 2026, together with any fresh, comprehensive representation and supporting material the applicants may submit, by a reasoned and speaking order within three weeks of receiving a certified copy of the order.

The decision must be communicated to the applicants forthwith.

No order as to costs; pending miscellaneous applications, if any, were also disposed of.