R. TAMILMANI versus UNION OF INDIA AND ANR.

Citation: [1992] 1 S.C.R. 1072 · Decided: 26-02-1992 · Supreme Court of India · Bench: M.H. KANIA · Disposal: Appeal(s) allowed

Judgment (excerpt)

A 
B 
R. TAMILMANI 
v. 
UNION OF INDIA AND ANR. 
FEBRUARY 26, 1992 
[M.H: KANIA, CJ, R.M. SAHA! AND G.N. RAY, JJ.]. 
Indian Administrative Service (Appointment by Selection) Regulations 
1956. 
C 
Indian Administrative Service-Selection from amongst Non-State Civil 
t 
D 
Service Officers-Selection Committee-Assessment of merit and ability--
Rating proces~77iree members of Selection Committee rating a candidate 
'Outstanding' while other two rating him as 'very good'-Held there was 
consensus regarding ability of candidate-Candidate held eligible for con-
sideration. 
The appellant was interviewed for selection to the Indian Administra-
tive Service for the year 1990 from amongst the Non-State ·civil Service 
Officers in the State of Tamil Nadu. Three of the members of the Selection 
Committee rated him as 'outstanding' whereas the other two members rated 
E him as 'very good'. But his name was not recommended for consideration 
by the Union Public Service Commission on the ground that there was no 
'consensus' regarding his ability. The appellant filed an application before 
the Central Administrative Tribunal, Madras for a direction that he should 
be considered and appointed to the Indian Administrative Service. His 
F 
application was dismissed. He filed an appeal in this Court. 
Allowing the appeal, this Court, 
HELD : The Central Administrative Tribunal was in error in dis-
missing the application of the appellant. If out of five committee members 
three ranked the appellant as 'outstanding' and two as 'very good', the 
G result would be that there was definitely consensus that he was at least 
'very good' and in fact a little better. Therefore, there was no reason why 
his case could not have been put up for consideration by the Union Public 
Service Commission. Accordingly, it is directed that his case be put up 
for consideration by the Union Public Service Commission for appoint-
H ment in the vacancy of 1990. [1073H, 1074A-B] 
1072 
, 
R. TAMILMANI v. U.0.1. (KANIA, O.J 
1073 
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 3145 of A 
1991. 
From the Judgement and Order dated 8.4.1991 of the Central Ad-
ministrative Tribunal, Madras in Original Application No. 810 of 1990. 
T.S. Krishnamurthy Iyer, S. Sivasubramaniam, R.A Perull}al and R. 
Mohan for the Appellants . 
., 
V.C. Mahajan, S.N. Sikka and V.K. Verma for the Respondents. 
The Judgment of Court was delivered by 
B 
c 
KANIA, CJ. This appeal arises out of an order of a Bench of Central 
Administrative Tribunal, Madras, dismissing an application filed by the 
appellant herein. The prayer in the application was to consider and 
appoint the appellant to the Indian Administrative Service (hereinafter D 
referred to as 'IAS') for the year 1990. It appears that for the year 1990 
the appellant was one of the five candidates called for interview for 
selection to the I.AS. from among the Non-State Civil Service Officers in 
the State of Tamil Nadu. It seems to be common ground that under the 
Indian Administrative Service (Appointment by Selection) Regulations, 
1956, read with similar Regulations, namely, Indian Administrative Service 
(Appointment by Promotion), Regulations, 1955 persons not belonging to 
the State Civil Service, who are of outstanding merit and ability and who 
have completed not less than eight years of service, can be considered for 
appointment to the I.AS. by selection. In the case of the appellant the 
"I; 
Seletion Committee interviewed the appellant along with four other can-
didates recommending their names to the Union Public Service Commis-
sion for approval. In this rating process three of the members of the Select 
Committee rated the appellant as "outstanding" whereas the other two 
members rated him as "very good'.'. By curious process of logic, which we 
E 
F 
find a little difficult to understand, the Selection Committee declined to G 
recommend his name for consideration on the ground that there was no 
'consensus' regarding his ability. 
In our view it is clear that if out of five committee members three 
ranked the appellant as "outstanding" and two as 'very good', the result 
-,-
would be that there was definitely consensus that he was at least "very H 
1074 
SUPREME COURT REPORTS 
[1992] 1 S.C.R. 
A good" and in fact a little better. Therefore, in our opinion, there was no 
reason why his case could not have been put up for consideration by the 
Union Public Service Commission.· The Central Administrative Tribunal,

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