♤ Jarnail Singh v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta (2018)

o The Supreme Court held that the government need not collect quantifiable data to demonstrate backwardness of public employees belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (SC/STs) to provide reservations for them in promotions.

♤ Recently the Supreme Court upheld Karnataka Extension of Consequential Seniority to Government Servants Promoted on the Basis of Reservation (to the Posts in the Civil Services of the State) Act, 2018. The enactment provides for consequential seniority to SCs and STs with restrospective effect from 1978.

o Consequential seniority allows reserved category candidates to retain seniority over general category peers. If a reserved category candidate is promoted before a general category candidate because of reservation in promotion, then for subsequent promotion the reserved candidate retains seniority. In effect, consequential seniority

undoes the 'catch-up rule' that allowed general category candidates to catch-up to reserved category candidates.