https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=183972 Departmental letters or long-standing administrative practice cannot alter inter se seniority in the absence of statutory rules, because mere departmental opinions are not the same as binding executive instructions. The distinction between seniority and promotion eligibility remains material, so seniority alone cannot override prescribed promotion conditions. Challenges to settled seniority and consequential promotion claims raised after an inordinate, unexplained delay are ordinarily barred by delay and laches, especially where third-party rights and completed promotions have accrued. The stale seniority dispute was therefore not to be reopened, while only a limited surviving question in one connected writ petition remained for consideration. en-us Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0530 Mon, 27 Jun 2016 14:24:31 +0530 TaxTMI RSS Generator https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=183972 Departmental letters or long-standing administrative practice cannot alter inter se seniority in the absence of statutory rules, because mere departmental opinions are not the same as binding executive instructions. The distinction between seniority and promotion eligibility remains material, so seniority alone cannot override prescribed promotion conditions. Challenges to settled seniority and consequential promotion claims raised after an inordinate, unexplained delay are ordinarily barred by delay and laches, especially where third-party rights and completed promotions have accrued. The stale seniority dispute was therefore not to be reopened, while only a limited surviving question in one connected writ petition remained for consideration. Case-Laws Indian Laws Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0530 https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=183972