Summarize the following court judgment. ivil Appeal No. 3607 of 1989. From the Judgment and Order dated 25.4.88 of Central Administrative Tribunal Hyderabad in T.A. No. 1185/86. R. Venkataramani	 V.G. Pragasam and S.M. Garg for the Appellant. Kapil Sibal	 Additional Solicitor General	 B. Datta	 Mrs. Indra Sawhney	 Ms. Sushma Suri	 B. Rajeshwar Rao	 Vimal Dave and C.V. Subba Rao for the Respondents. 446 The Judgment of the Court was delivered by KANIA	 J. This is an appeal by special leave against a decision of the Central Administrative Tribunal	 Hyderabad in Transfer Application No. 1185 of 1986 (W.P. NO. 8226 of 1985). All the relevant facts have been set out by the Tribunal in its judgment. As we are in agreement with the reasoning and conclusions of the Tribunal in the impugned judgment	 we propose to set out only the brief facts necessary for the disposal Of the appeal. Under the relevant rules	 the recruitment to the post of Superintending Mechanical Engineer was by promotion and failing that by direct recruitment. It may be mentioned that for direct recruitment to the said post	 the qualifications of a degree in Mechanical or Automobile Engineering was prescribed as essential. For promotion to the post of Direc tor (M.E.) the requisite qualification was five years 01 ' service in the grade of Mechanical Engineer (Senior). The appellant became eligible for promotion in 1978	 but he was not promoted as there were some senior persons in his grade	 who were promoted to the said post. On January 31	 1984	 a Notification was issued by respondent No. 1	 amending the said Rules and the said Notification was duly published in the Gazette of India. By the said amendment	 the said Rules were amended and it was prescribed that for promotion to the post of Director (M.E.) a degree in Engineering was a requi site qualification. The appellant challenges the validity of this Notification on the ground that it affected his chances of promotion or alternatively his right to be considered for promotion to the post of Director (M.E.). The appellant is a Mechanical Engineer (Senior) in the Geological Survey of India	 Southern Region	 Hyderabad. The appellant is a diplo ma holder and does not hold any degree in engineering. On April 27	 1964 he was appointed as Transport Officer (Class I Technical Grade	 Gruop 'A '). This post was redesig nated and merged with the post of Mechanical Engineer (Junior) in March 1968. On November 28	 1969	 the Geological Survey of India (Group 'A ' and Group 'B ' Posts) Recruitment Rules	 1967	 made under Article 309 of the Constitution were brought into force. The appellant was promoted as a Mechani cal Engineer (Senior) with effect from March 17	 1973 and his conditions of service were governed by the aforesaid rules. These rules have been amended from time to time. It was submitted by learned counsel for the appellant that the said amendment purported to be carried out by the said Notification was bad in law as it adversely affected a condition of service relating to promotion. It was submitted 447 by learned counsel for the appellant that if the rule	 requiring a degree qualification for promotion to the post of Director (M.E.)	 was applied as far as the appellant was concerned	 it would amount to giving a retrospective effect to the operation of the said rule and no retrospective rule could be framed under Article 309 of the Constitution. This contention was rejected by the Tribunal which held that it was for the Government to prescribe such qualifications as it considered fit for the post of Director (M.E.) and the Tribunal could not go into the question whether that quali fication was necessary unless the prescribing of the re quirement could be said to be perverse. The Tribunal further took the view that the appellant had no vested right to promotion but had a mere chance of promotion and he was not entitled to challenge the rule merely on the ground that it affected his chance of promotion. The said appeal is direct ed against the said decision. The main argument of learned counsel for the appellant is that the Tribunal was in error in holding that the rule affected merely a chance of promotion which the appellant had. It was submitted by him that although the appellant could not claim any right to be promoted	 he certainly had the right to be considered for promotion and the amendment to the rule carried out by the said Notification depriving of that right was bad in law. Strong reliance was placed by the learned counsel for the appellant on the decision of this Court in T.R. Kapur and Others vs State of Haryana and Others	 [1986] Supl. SCC 584 at 595 where it was held that right to be considered for promotion is a condition of service. This decision is	 however	 of no assistance to the learned counsel in support of his argument because the Bench which rendered the said decision has stated (at paragraph 16	 page 595 of the said report) as follows: "It is well settled that the power to frame. rules to regu late the conditions of service under the proviso to Article 309 of the Constitution carries with it the power to amend or alter the rules with a retrospective effect. It is equal ly well settled that any rule which affects the right of a person to be considered for promotion is a condition of service although mere chance of promotion may not be. " It was further held that: "an authority competent to lay down qualifications for 448 promotion	 is also competent to change the qualifications. The rules defining qualifications and suitability for promo tion are conditions of service and they can be changed retrospectively" It was	 however	 clarified that: "unless it is specifically provided in the rules	 the em ployees who are already promoted before the amendment of the rules	 cannot be reverted and their promotions cannot be recalled. " It is only in this sense	 that is	 as set out in the immediately preceding paragraph that the view has been taken that the rules cannot be retrospective. The ratio of this decision is not applicable to the case before us as there is no question of reverting the appellant. Again	 it has been held by a Bench comprising three learned Judges of this Court	 in State of Maharashtra and Another vs Chandrakant Anant Kulkarni and Others	 ; (at paragraph 16	 page 141 of the said report)	 that mere chances of promotion are not conditions of service and the fact that there was reduction in the chances of promotion did not tantamount to a change in the condition of service. A right to be considered for promotion is a term of service	 but mere chances of promotion are not. It was also held there that mere passing of the departmental examination conferred no right on the concerned S.T. Inspectors of Bombay	 to promotion. They merely became eligible for promotion. They had to be brought on to a select list	 not merely on the length of service but on the basis of merit cum seniority principle. In our opinion	 n0 retrospective effect has been given to the said amended rule. It is not argued that the appel lant has been reverted from the post which he occupies on the ground of any lack of any qualification. The only effect is that his chances of promotion or his right to be consid ered for promotion to the higher post is adversely affected. This cannot be regarded as retrospective effect being given to the amendment of the rules carried out by the impugned Notification and the challenge to the said notification on that ground must fail. The next argument advanced before us by the learned counsel for the appellant is that employees in the drilling stream who might be diploma holders could move by promotion to the grade of Director (Drilling) which is equivalent to the post of Director (Mechanical Engineering) and would be further eligible to be considered for the 449 next higher post of Deputy Director General (Engineering Service) on the basis of a common seniority of Directors (Mechanical) and Directors (Drilling). It was submitted that	 in this situation	 the requirement of a degree for promotion to the post of Director (Mechanical) must be regarded as unreasonable and bad in law. This argument was rejected by the Tribunal on the ground that the fact that for the higher post of Deputy Director General (Engineering Service)	 it is not necessary to hold a graduate degree is no reason why a degree requirement for the post of Director (Mechanical) should be regarded as unreasonable or bad in law. It is for the Government to decide what qualification was required for the promotion to the post of Director (M.E.) and	 unless that requirement was totally irrelevant or unreasonable	 it could not be said to be bad in law. In this regard	 we agree with the reasoning and conclusions or ' the Tribunal. In the result	 the appeal fails and is dismissed. There will be no order as to costs. G.N. Appeal dis missed.

The appellant	 a diploma holder	 was	 in 1964	 appointed as Transport Officer (Class I Technical Grade	 Group A)	 which post was later redesignated and merged with the post of Mechanical Engineer (Junior) in 1968. The Geological Survey of India (Group 'A ' and Group 'B ' posts) Recruitment Rules	 1967	 framed under Article 309 of the Constitution were brought into force in 1969. The appellant was promoted as a Mechanical Engineer (Senior) in 1973 and his conditions of service were governed by the said Rules	 which had been amended from time to time. One such amendment made in 1984 prescribed that for promotion to the post of Director (M.E.)	 a degree in Engineering was a requisite qualifica tion. The appellant challenged before the Central Adminis trative Tribunal	 the validity of the said notification on the ground that it affected his chances of promotion or alternatively his right to be considered for promotion to the post of Director (M.E.). It was contended that applying the amended Rule	 in so far as the appellant was concerned	 would amount to giving retrospective effect to the operation of the rule	 and no retrospective rule could be framed under Article 309 of the Constitution. The Tribunal rejected the contention and held that it was for the Government to pre scribe such qualifications as it considered fit	 and the Tribunal could not interfere unless it was shown to be perverse. Aggrieved against the Tribunal 's order	 the appellant has preferred this appeal by special leave. Dismissing the appeal	 this Court	 HELD: 1. Mere chance of promotion is not condition of serv ice 445 and the fact that there was reduction in the chances of promotion did not tantamount to a change in the conditions of service. A right to be considered for promotion is a term of service	 but mere chances of promotion are not. [448D] state of Maharashtra and Anr. vs Chandrakant Anant Kulkarnt and Others	 ; 	 relied on. T.R. Kapur and Others vs State of Harvana and Others	 [1986] (Suppl.) SCC 584	 referred to. 2. In the instant case	 no retrospective effect has been given to the said amended rule. It is not the case that the appellant has been reverted from the post which he occupies on the ground of lack of any qualification. The only effect is that his chances of promotion to the higher post is adversely affected. Alteration of rules of eligibility cannot be invalidated on the ground that an employee 's claim to be eligible for promotion is adversely affected. This cannot be regarded as retrospective effect being given to the amendment of the rules carried out by the Notification and the challenge to the said notification on that ground must fail. [448F G] 3. The fact that for the higher post of Deputy Director General (Engineering Service)	 it is not necessary to hold a graduate degree is no reason why a degree requirement for the post of Director (Mechanical) should be regarded as unreasonable or bad in law. It is for the Government to decide what qualification was required for promotion to the post of Director (M.E.) and	 unless that requirement was totally irrelevant or unreasonable	 it could not be said to be bad in law. [419B C]