ion No 211 of 1963
Petition under article 32 of the Constitution of India for the enforcement of the Fundamental Rights
R K Garg for the petitioner
C K Daphtary Attorney General B R L Iyengar and BR G K Achar for the respondents
March 31 1964
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by SIKRI J
This is a petition under article 32 of the Consti tution for enforcing the fundamental rights of the petitioner under articles 14 16 and 19 of the Constitution
Although the petition raises various points before us only two points have been argued by Mr Garg on behalf of the petitioner
We are grateful to Mr Garg who has argued as amicus curiae for the assistance he has given
The two points may be formulated as follows 1 That the Mysore General Services Revenue Subordinate Branch Recruitment Rules 1959 were not made with the previous approval of the Central Government under section 1157 of the State 551 Re organisation Act and therefore do not govern the petitioner insofar as the conditions of service have been varied to his disadvantage 2 That the Madras Government had prior to November 1 1956 by various orders reduced the petitioner in rank in violation of article 3112 of the Constitution and article 16
In order to appreciate the arguments addressed to us it is necessary to give a few facts
The petitioner was selected by the Madras Public Service Commission as a Lower Division Clerk under the Madras Ministerial Service Rules in 1949 and was allotted to the Revenue Department and posted in South Kanara District
He was promoted as Upper Division Clerk on April 2 1956
According to the petitioner he should have been promoted much earlier as he had rendered outstanding and meritorious service
According to the State the petitioner was considered for inclusion in the eligibility list from 1955 onwards but was not selected as he was not considered fit
The State admits that he was promoted as Upper Division Clerk with effect from April 2 1956 but alleges that this was on a temporary basis
He was later reverted and then again posted as a temporary Upper Division Clerk
In August 1957 the petitioner was considered and included in the eligibility list at Serial No 14
This list was regularised on December 12 1957 in accordance with Rules 39e and 35 of the Madras State and Subordinate Service Rules with effect from October 19 1957
According to the petitioner this resulted in the loss of benefit of service and increments
In the meantime reorganisation of States took place under the State Reorganisation Act XXXVII of 1956 South Kanara District except Kasaragod Taluk went to the new Mysore State and the petitioner was allotted to it
On May 11 1957 the Government of India addressed a memorandum No SO SRDI 1 APM 57 to all State Governments
Broadly speaking the Central Government said that some conditions of service should be protected eg substantive pay of permanent employees certain type of special pay lave rules unless the Government servant opts for new leave rules etc
But in respect of departmental promotion it said that the question whether any protection should be given in respect of rules and conditions applicable to Government servants affected by reorganisation immediately before the date of reorganisation in the matter of travelling allowance discipline control classification appeal conduct pro bation and departmental promotion was also considered
The Government of India agree with the view expressed on behalf of the State representatives that it would not be appropriate 552 to provide for any protection in the matter of these condi tions
 Therefore it is evident from this memorandum that the Central Government had told the State Government that they might if they so desire change service rules as indi cated in the memorandum
But Mr Garg argues that even so this does not amount to previous approval within section 1157 of the to the making of the Mysore General Services Revenue Subordinate Branch Recruitment Rules 1959
What then is the true meaning of the expression previous approval in the proviso to section 1157
Sub section 7 of section II 5 provides that Nothing in this section shall be deemed to affect after the appointed day the operation of the provisions of Chapter 1 of Part XIV of the Constitution in relation to determination of the conditions of service of persons serving in connection with the affairs of the Union or any State Provided that the conditions of service applicable immediately before the appointed day to the case of any person referred to in sub section 1 of subsection 2 shall not be varied to his disadvantage except with the previous approval of the Central Government
 The effect of this sub section is inter alia to preserve the power of the State to make rules under article 309 of the Constitution but the proviso imposes a limitation on the exercise of this power and the limitation is that the State cannot vary the conditions of service applicable immediately before November 1 1956 to the disadvantage of persons mentioned in sub ss 1 and 2 of section 115
It is not disputed that the petitioner is one of those persons
Mr Garg has submitted that the very fact that the Mysore General Services Revenue Subordinate Branch Recruitment Rules 1959 as framed were not sent to the Central Government for approval before being promulgated shows that previous approval has not been obtained
The memorandum he says is not approval but an abdication of the powers of the Central Government
In this connection he relies on the decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of In re Bosworth and Corporation of Gravesend1 but this decision has no bearing on the point under discussion
An Order in Council had been made under the provisions of the Burial Act 1853 whereby it was ordered that no new burial ground shall be opened in amongst other places Gravesend without the previous approval of one of Her Majesty s Principal Secretaries of State
Permission was sought of the Secre tary of State to add additional land to an existing cemetery 1 19051 2 KB 426
553 The Secretary of State replied that his sanction to the pro posed addition was not required
It is this reply which was characterised by Collins M R as renouncing of jurisdiction
We cannot appreciate how this assists us in interpreting the proviso to section 1157
He further relied on the unreported  judgment of the High Court of Mysore in C K Appanna vs State of Mysore1 but this proceeds on a concession made by the Government Pleader and does not advance petitioner s case
In our opinion in the setting in which the proviso to section 1157 is placed the expression previous approval would include a general approval to the variation in the conditions of service within certain limits indicated by the Union Government
It has to be remembered that article 309 of the Constitution gives subject to the provisions of the Constitution full powers to a State Government to make rules
The proviso to section 1157 limits that power but that limitation is removable by the Central Government by giving its previous approval
In this context we think that it could not have been the intention of Parliament that Service Rules made by States would be scrutinised in the minutest detail by the Central Government
Conditions vary from State to State and the details must be filled by each State according to its re quirements
The broad purpose underlying the proviso to section 1157 of the Act was to ensure that the conditions of ser vice should not be changed except with the prior approval of the Central Government
In other words before embarking on varying the conditions of service the State Governments should obtain the concurrence of the Central Government
In the memorandum mentioned above the Central Government after examining various aspects came to the conclusion that it would not be appropriate to provide for any protection in the matter of travelling allowance discipline control classification appeal conduct probation and departmental promotion
In our opinion this amounted to previous approval within the proviso to section 1157
It may be mentioned that by this memorandum the State Governments were required to send copies of all new rules to the Central Government for its information
Therefore  in our opinion there is no force in the first contention of the learned counsel for the petitioner and we hold that the ruler were validly made
There are two preliminary hurdles in the way of the petitioner regarding the second point taken on his behalf
Firstly the State of Madras has not been made a party to this petition
Secondly he never raised these points while he was serving under the State of Madras
It is difficult at this stage to challenge orders which if quashed would affect the rights of other civil servants who are not 1 WP
No 88 of 1962  judgement dated January 131964
554 parties to this petition
At any rate the petitioner has not been able to show how article 16 was infringed before he was allotted to the new Mysore State
The State in its reply has asserted that all the orders complained against were passed by competent authorities after considering the merits of the petitioner on each occasion
It was for the competent authorities to judge the merits of the petitioner
We find no force in this contention and hold that no infringement of article 16 has been established
Accordingly in the result the petition fails
In the circumstances of the case we order that the parties will bear their own costs in this Court
Petition dismissed


Summary:
The petitioner was selected as a Lower Division Clerk under the Madras Ministerial Service Rules in 1949 and was posted in South Kanara District
He was promoted as upper division clerk on April 2 1956 and according to him he should have teen promoted much earlier
According to the State the Petitioner was considered for inclusion in the eligibility list from 1955 onwards but was not selected as he was not considered fit
The State admitted that he was promoted as Upper Division clerk with effect from April 2 1956 but alleged that this was on a temporary basis
He was later reverted and then again posted as temporary Upper Division clerk
In August 1957 the petitioner was considered and included in the eligibility list at serial No 14
This list was regularised on December 12 1957 in accordance with Madras State and Subordinate Service Rules with effect from October 19 1957
According to the petitioner this resulted in the loss of benefit of service and increments
In the meantime reorganisation of States took place under the and South Kanara District went to the new Mysore and the petitioner was allotted to it
On May 11 1957 the Government of India addressed a memorandum to all State Governments and in respect of departmental promotion it said that the question whether any protection should be given in respect of rules and conditions applicable to Government Servants affected by reorganisation immediately before the date of reorganisation in the matter of travelling allowance discipline control classification appeal conduct probation and departmental promotion was also considered
The Government of India agree with the view expressed on behalf of the State res presentatives that it would not be appropriate to provide for any protection in the matter of these conditions
It was urged on behalf of the petitioner i that the Mysore General Services Recruitment Rules 1959 were not made with the previous approval of the Central Government under section 1157 of the States Re organisation Act and therefore do not govern the petitioner in so far as the conditions of service have teen varied to his disadvantage and ii that the Madras Government had prior to November 1 1956 by varoius orders reduced the petitioner in rank in violation of article 3112 of the Constitution and article 16
550 Held i In the setting in which the proviso to section 1157 of the Act is placed the expression previous approval would in clude a general approval to the variation in the conditions of service within certain limits indicated by the Union Government
article 309 of the Constitution gives subject to the provisions of the Constitution full powers to a State Government to make rules
The proviso to section 1157 of the Act limits that power but that limitation is removable by the Central Government by giving its previous approval
The broad purpose underlying the Proviso to section 1157 of the Act was to ensure that the conditions of service should not be changed except with the prior approval of the Central Government
In the memorandum the Central Government after examining various aspects came to the conclusion that it would not be appropriate to provide for any protection in the matter of travelling allowance discipline control classification appeal conduct probation and departmental promotion
This amounted to previous approval within the proviso to section 1157
By this memorandum the State Governments were required to send copies of all new rules to the Central Government for its information
Therefore it must be held that the rules were validly made
In re Bosworth and Corporation of Gravesend 1905 2 KB 426 and C K Appamna vs State of Mysore WP No 88 of 1962 held inapplicable
ii The petitioner failed to show how article 16 was in fringed before he was allotted to the new Mysore State
The State in its reply had asserted that all the orders complained against were passed by competent authorities after considering the merits of the petitioner on each occasion
It was for the competent authorities to judge the merits of the petitioner
Therefore it must be held that infringement of article 16 was not established