Satish Chandra, J. - (1.) The appellant questions the fixation of his seniority vis-a-vis the respondents.
(2.) The parties are in the Indian Railways signal and Telecommunication Engineering Service, a Class Service (hereinafter called 'the Service'). The appellant was a special recruit to this Service. Respondents 3 to 8 came into the service by way of promotion, while respondents 9 to 12 were direct recruits to the Service. The appellant claimed to or senior to all these respondents.
(3.) His case was that the principle evolved by the Railway authorities for determining the seniority of members of the Service coming from different sources was discriminatory and violative of Article 16 of the Constitution.;