Holding

A prospective amendment of recruitment rules cannot invalidate a selection made under the earlier rules; therefore the select list prepared by the Commission is valid.

Summary

The Karnataka Public Service Commission advertised for Motor Vehicle Inspectors in 1983, requiring a diploma in Automobile or Mechanical Engineering, and began the selection process in 1984. Due to High Court interim orders, the final select list was only prepared on 2 June 1987 and published on 23 July 1987. While the selection was pending, the State Government amended the recruitment rules on 4 May 1987, removing the Mechanical Engineering diploma qualification, and the amendment was not made retrospective. Unsuccessful candidates challenged the select list before the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal, which quashed the list on the ground that the amendment rendered the earlier selections illegal. The Supreme Court held that statutory rules are prospective unless expressly retrospective, and that candidates who applied under the 1983 advertisement acquire a right to be considered under the rules then in force, a right that cannot be defeated by a later prospective amendment. Consequently, the Tribunal’s order was set aside and the State was directed to appoint the candidates from the original select list. The appeal was allowed and the writ petition disposed.

Issues considered

The amendment of the Karnataka General Service (Motor Vehicles Branch) Recruitment Rules in May 1987 was prospective and could not affect the rights of candidates who had applied under the 1983 rules.
Whether the select list prepared by the Karnataka Public Service Commission in June 1987 was valid despite the subsequent amendment of the recruitment rules.
Whether a candidate acquires a right to be considered for appointment upon applying in response to a public service commission advertisement, and if such right can be overridden by a later amendment of the rules.

Subjects

Recruitment RulesProspective amendmentRetrospective effectPublic Service CommissionRight to be consideredSelection processArticle 309Article 16Article 32

Judgment

P. MAHENDRAN
A
v.
STATE OF KARNATAKA

DECEMBER 5, 1989

[E.S. VENKATARAMIAH, CJ, K.N. SINGH AND B
N.M. KASLIWAL, JJ.]

Civil Services: Karnataka General Service (Motor Vehicles
Branch) Recruitment Rules, 1962: Motor Vehicle Inspectors-Recruit-
ment for-State Public Service Commission processes applications-
H olds interviews_:_Rules amended before select list finalised-Effect C
of-Select list-Validity of.

The Karnataka General Service (Motor Vehicles Branch)
Recruitment Roles, 1962 (as amended in 1976) laid down the minimum
qualification of Diploma in Automobile Engineering or Mechanical
Engineering for direct recruitment to the post of Motor Vehicle D
Inspectors. The Karnataka Pnblic Service Commission issued an
advertisement on September 28, 1983 inviting applications for the said post
stating specifically that the selection shall be made in accordance with
the Recruitment Rules, 1976 and that the candidate must be holder of
Diploma in Antomobile Engineering or Mechanical Engineering. Aller
scrutiny of the applications the Commission issued letters fof interview E
.> to the suitable candidates and commenced the holding of interviews in
August, 1984. The process of selection, however, could be completed
only on June 2, 1987 en account of interim orders issued by the High
Court at tlie instance of candidates seeking reservation for local candi-
dates. The result was declared on June 22, 1987 and published in the
Karnataka Gazette dated 23rd July, 1987. Thereafter, the selected F
candidates were given , intimation of their selection and the State
Government took steps for imparting them three months training
before appointing them as Motor Vehicle Inspectors.

In the meanwhile, the State Government amended the Recruit-
ment Rules by a notification dated May 4, 1987 omitting qualification of G
Diploma in Mechanical Engineering for the said post. Thereupon some
of the candidates who were unsuccessful at the selection preferred
applications before the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal for quash-
ing the select list and, the notification dated September 28, 1983 iIJviting
applications on the ground that after the amendment of Rules in 1987
no person holding Diploma in Mechanical Engineering was qualified for H

385
386 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [ 1989] Supp. 2 S.C.R.

A appointment to the said post. The State Government as well as the
appellants both contested the applications and asserted that the 1987
amendment to the Recruitment Rules was not retrospective and that the
amended rules did not affect the selections which were in the process of
finalisation by the Commission.
B
Allowing the applications, the Tribunal held that after the amend-
ment of the Recruitment Rules in May 1987 the Commission could not
make selection or determine the result on the basis of the Rules which
existed prior to May 14, 1987 and as such the selection of candidates
holding_ Diploma in Mechanical Engineering was illegal as they had
ceased to be eligible for appointment to the post of Motor Vehicle
c Inspectors with effect from the date of publication of the amending
Rules. Consequently it quashed the advertisement issued under the
Notification dated September 28, 1983 as well as the select list published
by the Commission and directed the Commission to invite fresh applica-
tions and to make selections in accordance with the amended Rules.
D
Allowing the appeal and the writ petition preferred by the selected
candidates, the Court,

HELD: 1. The Tribunal was in error in settinng aside the select
list preferred by the Commission. [397H]
E 2.1 If a candidate applies for a post in response to an advertise-
ment .issued by a Public Service Commission in accordance with the
recruitment rules, he acquires a right to be considered for selection in
accordance with the then existing rules. This right cannot be affected by
amendment of any rule unless the amending rule is retrospective in
nature. 13970]

In the instant case, the advertisement issued by the Commission
on September 28, 1983 was in .accordance with the Recruitment Rules of
1976 under which the appellants were eligible for appointment. The
process of selection which had commenced on receipt of the applica-
tions, however could not be completed on account of the interim orders
G issued by the High Court. The select list was finalised by June 2, 1987
and the result published in the Karnataka Gazette of July 23, 1987.
The selected candidates were also intimated by the Commission by
separate letters. If there had been no interim orders the appellants
would have been appointed much before the amendment of Rules on
H May 4, 1987. [395C; 390G; 391D]
P. MAHENDRAN v. STATE OF KARNATAKA 387

2.2 Construction of amending Rules should be made in a reason-
A
able manner to avoid unnecessary hardship to those who had no control
over the subject matter. Every statute or statutory Rule is prospective
unless it is expressly or by necessary iJnj>lication has retrospective effect.
Unless there. are words in the statute or in the Rules showing the
intention to affect existing rights the Rules must be held to be prospec-
tive. If a Rule is expressed in language which is fairly capable of either B
interpretation it ought to be conStrued as prospective only. In the absence
of any express provision or necessary .intendment the rule cannot be given
retrospective effect except in matter of procedure. [392A; 39IE-F]

In the instant case, the amending Rule of 1987 does not contain
any express provision giving the amendment retrospective effect nor
there is anything therein showing the necessary intendment in enforcing the c
Rule with retrospective effect. 11te amended Rule, therefore, could not be
applied to invalidate the selection made by the Commission. [39IF-G; 393E-F)

A.A. Calton v. Director of Education & Anr., [1983) 3 SCC 33,
applied. D

State of Andhra Pradesh v. T. Ramakrishna Rao, [1972) 2 SCC
830, referred to.

Y. Y. Rangaiah v. J. Sreenivasa Rao, [1983] 3 SCC 284 and I.I.
Divakar v. Government of Andhra Pradesh, [1982) 3 SCC 341, E
distinguished.

3. The order of the Tribunal dated September 13, 1987 is set
aside. The State Government is directed to make appointment to the
posts of Motor Vehicle Inspectors on the basis of the select list prepared
and finalised by the Commission. [398A) F

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 3948
of 1987.

From the Judgment and Order dated 30.9. 1987 of the Karnataka
Administrative Tribunal in Application No. 1716 of 1987. G

WITH

Civil Writ Petition No. 1631 of 1987.

(Under Article 32 of the Constitution of India). H
\ [1989] Supp. 2 S.C.R .
• 388 SUPREME COURT.REPORTS
I
I - -- ,
B.R.L. Iyengar, R.B. Mehrotra, (N.P.) and E.C. Vidyasagar for
A the Appellants.
_, .. ,'
P.R. Ramaseesh and A.K. Gupta for the Respondents.

Anil Dev Singh;. R.B. Masodkar and K.L. Tan~ja for the .. ·
Intervener. ',

__ The Judgment. of the Court was delivered by

,SINGH, J. This appeal Is directed against the judgment and
order of the Kamataka Administrative Tribunal, Bangalore dated
.· ··· September 30, 1~87 quashing Kamataka Public Servii:e Commission's .
-' C Notification dated 28.9. 1983 inviting applications for recruitment of
Motor Vehicle Inspectors and the select list prepared by it for appoint-
ment to th"e post of Motor Vehicle Inspectors and further directing the
Public Service Commission to invite fresh applications in accordance
with the amended Rules. Some of those candidates whose names were
D included in the select list prepared by the Public Service Commission
for appointment to the post of Motor Vehicle Inspectors have filed a
wnt petition under Article 32 oL the Constitution of India· for the
issuance of directions to the State Government of Kamataka for mak-
ing appointments to the post of Motor Vehicle Inspectors from the
select list prepared by the Commission. Since the questions involved in
E ·the appeal _by special leave filed against the order of the State Tribunal
and the writ petition ·are common, we consider it proper to dispose of
.. the same by a common judgment.
- .
-,~

. The dispute involved in the present cases relates to the selection
. and appointment of Motor Vehicle Inspectors. Recruitment to the said
"p. post is regulated by the Kamataka General Service (Motor Vehicles
' 'Branch) (Recruitment) Rules, 1962 (hereinafter referred 'to as 'the
'Rutes') Jramed under Article 309 of the Constitution •. These Rules
provide for direct recruitment to the post of Motor Vehicle Inspectors
and it further lays down the minimum qualification requiring a candi-
date to be holder of Diploma in Automobile Engineering or Mechani-
G - cal Engineering. In 1978 the Kamataka Pub}ic Service Commission ·
held I setections and about 200 posts of Motor Vehicle Inspectors were
filled up from amongst thecandidates holding Diploma in Mechanical
~Engineering and in Automobile Engineering. On September 28,. 1983
the Public Service Commission issued an advertisement (published in •
· · the Kainataka Gaze!te on October 6, 1983) inviting applications for 56
H · . p~st~ of Motor_Vehicle. Inspectors-which was later on increased to 102.
P. MAHENDRAN v. STATE OF KARNATAKA (SINGH, J.l 389

posts. The advertisement specifically stated that the selection shall be
made in accordance with the Recruitment Rules 1976 and it further A
stated that a candidate for selection must be holder of Diploma in
Automobile Engineering or Mechanical Engineering. The appellants/
petitioners (in writ petition) who were holding Diploma in Mechanical
Engineering alongwith others applied for selection to the post of
Motor Vehicle Inspectors. The Commission after scrutiny.of the appli- B
cation forms issued letters for interview to the suitable candidates and
the Commission commenced the holding of interviews in August,
1984. It appears that the Commission refused to interview some candi-
dates who were competing for selection against the reserved seats for
'local candidates' on the ground th.at they were. not entitled to be
treated as 'local candidates' as they had not actually worked as 'local
candidates' in the post of Motor Vehicle Inspectors and further they c
had secured low percentage of marks, they were further not entitled to
be interviewed against the seats earmarked for general pool as the
marks secured by them were less than the percentage of marks
obtained by the last candidate called for interview. The candidates
claiming reserved seats as 'local candidates' filed a number of petitions D
under Article 226 of the Constitution before the High Court of
Kamataka and obtained stay orders as a result of which the selection
could not be completed. Later interim orders were modified by the
High Court and the Commission was permitted to proceed with the
selection reserving seats for the petitioners. The High Court further
modified its order at a later stage permitting the Commission to make E
selection and appointment with a condition that the appointments so
made will be subject to the decision of the writ petitions. Thereafter
the Commission resumed interviews again and it completed the same
by 2nd June 1987 and declared the result of the selection on 22.6. 1987
which was published in the Kamataka Gazette dated 23rd July, 1987.
The selected candidates were given intimation of their selection and F
the State Government took steps for imparting them three months'
-training before appointing them as Motor Vehicle Inspectors.

Meanwhile, the State Government of Karnataka amended the
Recruitment Rules by a Notification dated May 4, 1987 published in
the Gazette on 14.5. 1987 omitting the qualification of J)iploma in G
Mechanical Engineering for the post of Motor Vehicle Inspectors.
Consequent to the amendment of Rules the holders of Diploma of
Automobile Engineering became exclusively eligible for appointment
to the post of Motor Vehicle Inspectors and the holders of Diploma in
Mechanical Engineering ceased to be eligible for selection ,and
appointment to the said post. Some of those candidates who were H
390 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1989] Supp. 2 S.C.R.

unsuccessful at the selection held by the Commission preferred appli-
A cations before the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal at Bangalore
for quashing the select list prepared by the Commission and also for
quashing the Notification dated 28.9. 1983 inviting applications for
appointment to the post of Motor Vehicle Inspectors on the ground
that after the amendment of Rules in 1987, no person holding the
B Diploma in Mechanical Engineering was qualified for appointment,
therefore fresh selection should be made in accordance with the
amended Rules. The State Government of Karnataka as well as the
appellants both contested the applications and asserted that the 1987
amendment to the Recruitment Rules were not retrospective instead
the amendments were prospective and the amended Rules did not
affect the selections which were in the process of finalisation by the
C Commission. The Tribunal held that after the amendment of the
Recruitment Rules in May, 1987 the Commission could not make
selection or determine the result on the basis of the Rules which exis-
ted prior to 14th May 1987 and as such the selection of candidates
holding Diploma in Mechanical Engineering was illegal as holders of
D Diploma in Mechanical Engineering ceased to be eligible for appoint-
ment to the post of Motor Vehicle Inspectors with effect from the date
of publication of the amending Rules. On these findings the Tribunal
allowed the applications and quashed the advertisement issued under
the Notification dated 28.9. 1983 as well,as the select list published by
the Public Service Commission and it further issued directions to the
E Public Service Commission to invite fresh applications and to make
selections in accordance with the amended Rules. Aggrieved, the
appellants who had been selected by the Commission for appointment
to the posts of Motor Vehicle Inspectors have preferred appeal before
this Court. Some of the selected candidates have directly approached
this Court by means of writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitu-
F tion for issue of mandamus directing the State Government to.appoint
the selected candidates ..

There is no dispute that under the Recruitment Rules as well as
under the advertisement dated 6. 10. 1983 issued by the Public Service
Commission, holders of Diploma in Mechanical Engineering were
G eligible for appointment to the post of Motor Vehicle Inspectors
alongwith holders of Diploma in Automobile Engineering. On receipt
of the applications from the candidates the Commission commenced
the process of selection as it scrutinised the applications and issued
letters for interview to the respective candidates. In fact the Commis-
sion commenced the interviews in August 1984 and it had almost
H completed the process of selection but the selection could not be com-
P.,MAHENDRAN v. STATE OF KARNATAKA [SINGH, J.] 391

pleted on account of interim orders issued by the High Court at the
instance of candidates seeking reservation for local candidates. The A
Commission completed the interviews of all the candidates and it
finalised the list of selected candidates by 2nd June 1987 and the result
was published in the State Gazette on 23rd July 1987. In addition to
that the selected candidates were intimated by the Commission by
separate letters. In view of these facts the sole question for considera- B
tion is as to whether the amendment made in the Rules on 14th May
1987 rendered the selection. illegal. Admittedly the amending Rule
does not contain any provision enforcing the amended Rule with·
retrospective effect. In the absence of any express provision contained
in the amending Rule it must be held to be prospective in nature. The
Rules which are prospective in nature cannot take away or impair the
right of candidates holding Diploma in Mechanical Engineering as on C
the date of making appointment as well as on the date of scrutiny by
the Commission they were qualified for selection and appointment. In
fact the entire selection in the normal course would have been finalised
much before the amendment of Rules, but for the interim orders of the
High Court. If there had been no interim orders, the selected candi- D
dates would have been appointed much before the amendment of
Rules. Since the process of selection had commenced and it could not
be completed on account of the interim orders of the High Court, the
appellants' right to selection and appointment could not be defeated
by subsequent amendment of Rules.
E
It is well-settled rule of construction that every statute or statu-
tory Rule is prospective unless it is expressly or by necessary implica-
tion made to have retrospective effect. Unless there are words in the
statute or in the Rules showing the intention to affect existing rights
the Rule must be held to be prospective. If a Rule is expressed in
language which is fairly capable of either interpretation it ought to be F
construed as prospective only. In the absence of any express provision
or necessary intendment the rule cannot be given retrospective effect
except in matter of procedure. The amending Rule of 1987 does not
contain any express provision giving the amendment retrospective
effect nor there is anything therein showing the necessary intendment
for enforcing the Rule with retrospective effect. Since the amending G
Rule was not retrospective, it could not adversely affect the right of
those candidates who were qualified for selection and appointment on
the date they applied for the post, moreover as the process of selection
had already commenced when the amending Ri,iles came into force.
The amended Rule could not affect the existing rights of those candi-
dates who were being considered for selection as they possessed the H
392 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [ 1989] Supp. 2 S.C.R.

requisite qualifications prescribed by the Rules before its amendment
A
moreover construction of amending Rules should be made in a reason-
able manner to avoid unnecessary hardship to those who have no
control over the subject matter.

In A.A. Calton v. Director of Education & Anr., [ 1983] 3 SCC 33
B this Court considered the validity of appointment of Principal by the
Director of Education made under Section 16F of the U .P. Inter-
mediate Education Act 1921. The High Court quashed the selection of
Principal on the ground that the appointment had been made by the
Selection Committee and not by the Director of Education as required
by Section 16F(4) of the Act. The High Court directed the Director of
Education to make selection and appointment. Pursuant to the direc-
C tion of the High Court, the Director made appointment to the pbst of
Principal by his order dated March 8, 1977, but before that date,
Section 16F(4) of the Act was amended on August 18, 1975 taking
~· away the power of the Director to make appointment under Section
!6F(4) of the Act. In view of the amendment of Section 16Fof the Act,
D validity of the order of the Director of Education dated March 8, 1977
making appointment to the post of Principal was again questioned.
The High Court dismissed the writ petition thereupon the unsuccessful
party preferred appeal. This Court held as under:
"It is no doubt true that the Act was amended by U.P. Act
26 of 1975 which came into force on August 18, 1975 taking
E away the power of the Director to make an appointment
under Section 16F(4) of the Act in the case of minority
institutions. The amending Act did not, however, provide
expressly that the amendment in question would apply to
pending proceedings under Section 16F of the Act. Nor do
we find any words in it which by necessary intendment would
F affect such pending proceedings. The process of selection
under Section 16F of the Act commencing from the stage
of calling for applications for a post up to the date on which
the Director becomes entitled to make a selection under
Section 16F(4) (as it stood then) is an integrated one. At
every stage in that process certain rights are treated in
G favour of one or the other of the candidates. Section 16F of
the Act cannot, therefore, be construed as merely a pro-
cedural provision. It is true that the legislature may pass
laws with retrospective effect subject to the recognised con-
stitutional limitations. But it is equally well settled that no
retrospective effect should be given to any statutory provi-
H sion so as to impair or take away an existing right, unless
P. MAHENDRAN v. STATE OF KARNATAKA (SINGH, J.J 393

the statute either expressly or by necessary 1mp11cauon
directs that it should have such retrospective effect. In the A
instant case admittedly the proceedings for the selection
had commenced in the year 1973 and after the Deputy
Director had disapproved the recommendations made by
the Selection Committee twice the Director acquired the
jurisdiction to make an appointment from -amongst the B
qualified candidates who had applied for the vacancy in
question. At the instance of the appellant himself in the
earlier writ petition filed by him the High Court had
directed the Director to exercise that power. Although the
Director in the present case exercised that power subse-
quent to August 18, 1975 on which date the amendment
came into force, it cannot be said that the selection made c
by him was illegal since the amending law had no retrospec-
tive effect. It did not have any effect on the proceedings
which had commenced prior to August 18, 1975. Such pro-
ceedings had to be continued in accordance with the law as
it stood at the commencement of the said proceedings. We D
do not, therefore, find any substance in the contention of
the learned counsel for the appellant that the law as
amended by the U .P. Act 26 of 1975 should have been
followed in the present case."

In view of the above the appellants' selection and appointment E
could not be held as illegal as the process of selection had commenced
in 1983 which had to be completed in accordance with law as it stood at
the commencement of the selection. The amended Rule could not
be applied to invalidate the selection made by the Commission. •
Strangely the Tribunal did not follow the latest authority of this Court
as laid down in Ca/ton's case, on the ground that the view taken in that F
case was contrary to the Constitution Bench decision of this Court in
State of Andhra Pradesh v. T. Ramakrishna Rao, [19721 2 SCC 830.
We have carefully considered the decision but we do not find anything
therein contrary to the view taken in Ca/ton's case.

In Ramakrishna Rao's case the State Public Service Commission G
of Andhra .Pradesh had invited applications in 1968 for the posts of
District Munsifs. Rule 5 of the Recruitment Rules empowered the
Commission to prepare a list of persons considered for the appoint-
ment to the post of District Munsifs after holding such examination as
the Government would consider necessary. On a challenge made by
some of the candidates the High Court held that Rule 5 was void as it H
394 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1989] Supp. 2 S.C.R.

empowerd the Government to determine whether an examination was
A necessary or not, and also the pattern of such an examination, in
contravention of Article 234 of the Constitution. The High Court
further held that the Government orders, pursuant to the said Rule for
holding of examination by the Commisssion was also void, having been
issued under invalid Rules. Pursuant to the judgment of the High
B Court the Governor amended Rule 5 after consultation with the High
Court and the Commission as enjoined by Article 234 of the Constitu-
tion. The Commission thereafter issued advertisement inviting fresh
applications to hold examination for the purpose of filling vacancies in
the post of District Munsifs, thereupon some of the candidates who
had made applications in pursuance to the advertisement issued in
1968 challenged the validity of the holding of the fresh examination on
c the ground that since they had applied in response to the advertise-
ment of 1968 they cOuld not be subjected to written examination under
the amended Rule as it was prospective in nature. They further
asserted that the amended Rule prescribmg 200 marks for written test
and equal number of marks for oral test was contrary to the earlier
D Rules and since they had acquired right to be considered in accordance
with Rule 5 before its amendment, they should not be subjected to
written examination and oral test as required by the amended Rules.
The High Court partly allowed the petition and directed the Commis-
sion to hold a separate examination for those who had applied in 1968
in accordance with the unamended Rules and further to hold a sepa-
E rate examination for the subsequent vacancies in accordance with the
amended Rule 5. On appeal by the State Government, a Constitution
Bench of this Court set aside the order of the High Court. This Court
held that since Rule 5 as it stood in 1968 had been declared void the
advertisement issued by the Commission inviting applications and all
proceedings taken by the Commission including the examination held
F thereunder was rendered void. In this context this Court made obser-
vation that those candidates who had made applications in 1968 had
not acquired. any right as their applications had been made under a
Rule which had been declared invalid. The Court further held that in
the facts of that case the question whether amended Rule 5 was
retrospective or prospective did not arise. The Court observed as
G under:

"Secondly the respondents had not acquired any right by
merely applying for the posts either under that rule or
otherwise, to be selected for the posts. The Commission,
therefore, was perfectly justified in treating the earlier
H applications of the respondents as invalid on the ground
P. MAHENDRM v. STATE OF KARNATAKA (SINGH, J.] 395

that they had been invited under an illegal rule and calling
for fresh applications and holding a fresh examination in A ,
respect of all the 200 vacancies. There was thus no question
of any breach of Article 16, nor of any violation of any right
of the respondents as none was acquired by them. Equally,
there was no question of the amended Rule 5, being
prospective or retrospective as the Commission had to act B
afresh under the amended Rule, the unamended rule
having been struck down and there being therefore no basis
on which the applicaiions of the respondents made in 1968
could be treated as valid applications."

The above observations as relied by the Tribunal do not apply to
the facts of the instant case as the advertisement issued by the c
Commission on 28.9. 1983 was in accordance with the Recruitment
Rules of 1976, validity of those Rules was not in question. The Rule
prescribing qualification was amended after four years of the
advertisement, theretore the law laid down in Ramakrishna Rao's case
does not apply. The Tribunal committed error in ignorning the law laid D
down in Ca/ton's case by placing reliance on the observations of this
. Court in Ramakrishna· Rao's case. In our view the principles laid down
in Ca/ton's case are fully applicable to the instant case.

In Y. Y. Rangaiah v. J. Sreenivasa Rao, [ 1983] 3 SCC 284 the
question was whether appointment could be made out of the list of E
approved candidates prepared by the appointing authority against the
vacancies which had occurred erior to the amendment of the rules. The
Andhra Pradesh Registration and Subordinate Service Rules made
provision for the preparation of a list of approved candidates for
appointment and promotion in the month of September every year. In
1976 the list of approved candidates was not prepared meanwhile in F
1977 the original rules were amended providing for promotion or
transfer to the category of LDCs for appointment as Sub-Registrars
Grade II from amongst UDCs employed in the Registration and
Stamp Department. A list of approved candidates for promotion was
made in accordance with the amended Rules and appointments were
made as a result of which some of the juniors in the category of LDCs G
were promoted as Sub-Registrars Grade II. The Andhra Pradesh Tri-
bunal set aside the appointments and directed the State Government to
draw a fresh panel for the year 1976-77 in respect of vacancies arising
during that year in accordance with the rules as they existed at that
stage and to make appointments in the vacancies pertaining to that
period on the basis of the panel so drawn. On appeal this Court held H
396 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [ 1989] Supp. 2 S.C.R.

that the vacancies which occurred prior to the amended Rules would be
A governed by the old Rules and not by the amended Rules. The deci-
sion does not lay down anything which may be contrary to the view
taken in Ca/ton's case.

We would now consider the view taken by this Court in l.J.
B Divakar v. Government of Andhra Pradesh, [1982] 3 SCC 341 as the
Tribunal has placed strong reliance on the observations made in that
decision in setting aside the selection made by the Public Service Com-
mission. It is necessary to ascertain the facts involved in Divakar's
case. The Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission invited applica·
lions for filling posts of Junior Engineers. In response to the advertise-
ment several candidates applied for the said post and appeared at the
viva voce test. While the Commission was in process of finalising the
select list, the Government of Andhra Pradesh issued a Government
Order under the proviso to Article 320(3) of the Constitution exclud-
ing the posts of Junior Engineers from the purview of the Public
Service Commission. The Government regularised the services of all
ID those who were appointed by direct recruitment to the post of ad-hoc
Junior Engineers and were continuing in service on August 9, 1979
without subjecting them to any test written or oral. The candidates
who had applied in response to the advertisement issued by the Com·
mission challenged validity of the Government Order excluding th<
post of Junior Engineers from the purview of the Commission and alsc
E the validity of the decision by the Government to regularise th<
services of temporary employees. Before this Court the Government''
power of framing regulations excluding any post from the purview o
the Commission under the proviso to Article 320(3) was conceded. 11
was, however, urged that since the advertisement had been issued by
the Commission inviting applications for the posts of Junior Engineer
F and as the Commission was in process of selecting candidates th<
power under the proviso to Clause (3) of Article 320 of the Constitu
tion could not be exercised. This Court rejected the contention wit1
the following observations:

"The only contention urged was that at the time when the
G advertisement was issued the post of Junior Engineer was
within the. purview of the Commission and even if at a later
date the post was withdrawn from the purview of the
Commission it could not have any retrospective effect.
There is no merit in this contention and we are broadly in
agreement with the view of the Tribunal that inviting the
ljl applications for a post does not by itself create any right to
P. MAHENDRAN v. STATE OF KARNATAKA [SINGH, J.J 397

' the post in the candidate who in response to the advertise- A
ment makes an application. He only offers himself to be
considered for the post. His application only makes him
eligible for being considered for the post. It does not create
any right in the candidate to the pest."

After making the aforesaid observations the Court further held that B
the relevant service Rules conferred power on the Government to fill
emergently the vacancies to· the post borne in the cadre of service
otherwise than in accordance with the rules and therefore the Govern-
ment had power to regularise temporary appointments made without
the consultation of the Public Service Commission. Even after uphold-
ing the Government order, the Court directed the Commission to
consider the case of all those candidates who had applied for the post c
of Junior Engineers in response to the advertisement issued by the
Commission and to finalise the select list on the basis of viva voce test
and to forward the same to the Government. The Court further
directed the Government to make appointments from the select list
before any outsider was appointed to the post of Junior Engineers. D
Thus, the observations made by this Court as quoted earlier were
made in the special facts and circumstances of the case, which do not
apply to the facts of the instant case. In Divakar's case since the
jurisdiction of the Public Serv\ce Commission had been denuded by
the Government in exercise of .its constitutional power the Commis-
sion had no jurisdiction to conduct selection or prepare select list. In E
this background the Court made observations that a candidate merely
by making applications does not acquire any right to the post. It is true
that a candidate does not get any right to the post by merely making an
application for the same, but a right is created in his favour for being
considered for the post in accordance with the terms and conditions of
the advertisement and the existing recruitment rules. If a candidate F
applies for a post in response to advertisement issued by Public Service
Commission in accordance with recruitment Rules he acquires right to
be considered for selection in accordance with the then existing Rules.
This right cannot be affected by amendment of any Rule unless the
amending Rule is retrospective in nature. In the instant case the
Commission had acted in accordance with the then existing rules and G
there is no dispute that the appellants were eligible for appointment,
their selection was not in violation of the recruitment Rules. The Tri-
bunal in our opinion was in error in setting aside the select list prepared
by the Commission.

In view of the above discussions, we allow the appeal and set H
398 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1989] Supp. 2 S.C.R.
>

A aside the order of the Tribunal dated September 30, 1987. We further
direct the State Government to make appointments to the posts of
Motor Vehicle Inspectors on the basis of the select list prepared and
finalised by the Commission. The writ petition is also disposed of
accordingly. There will be no order as to costs.

B P.S.S. Appeal& Petition allowed.