Gauhati: The Arunachal Pradesh police promotion rules have been upheld by the Gauhati High Court. The Court ruled that the 2025 amendment to the promotion rules is constitutional and does not violate Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. The judgment came while dismissing a petition filed by police officers who challenged the revised promotion quota system.
Arunachal Pradesh Police Promotion Rules: What Was the Case About
The case challenged Rule 5(1)(b) of the Arunachal Pradesh Police Service (Amendment) Rules, 2025. The petitioners, who were Inspectors from the India Reserve Battalion (IRBn), argued that the new rules unfairly reduced their promotional opportunities by changing the quota for promotions to the Arunachal Pradesh Police Service (Entry Grade).
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Under the amended rules, promotional quota is distributed among the three feeder cadres according to the sanctioned strength of Inspectors in each cadre:
- Civil Police: 79.39%
- India Reserve Battalion (IRBn): 15.35%
- Arunachal Armed Police Battalion (AAPBn): 5.26%
The State government said the amendment was introduced to ensure fair and balanced promotion opportunities across all cadres.
Why Did the High Court Uphold the Arunachal Pradesh Police Promotion Rules
A Division Bench of Justice Kardak Ete and Justice Budi Habung held that the amendment is based on a reasonable and objective classification. According to the Court, using the sanctioned strength of Inspectors in each cadre as the basis for distributing promotional quota has a clear connection with the goal of ensuring equitable career progression. The Court observed that simply because some officers believe the earlier system was more beneficial does not make the new statutory rules unconstitutional.
No Violation of Equality Rights
The petitioners claimed that the amendment violated Articles 14 and 16 by reducing IRBn promotional posts from 17 to 9. However, the Court rejected this argument.
It held that the amendment does not remove or completely block promotional opportunities for IRBn officers. Instead, it only restructures the quota based on the actual sanctioned strength of Inspectors across the three cadres. The Court said such restructuring cannot be treated as denial of promotion.
Government Has the Power to Amend Arunachal Pradesh Police Promotion Rules
The Bench also relied on earlier Supreme Court judgments and said government employees do not have a vested right to insist that promotion rules must remain unchanged forever. The Court observed that service rules can be amended if the changes are not arbitrary, unreasonable, or irrational.
It also clarified that once an Inspector is promoted to the Entry Grade, the officer becomes part of the common Arunachal Pradesh Police Service rather than remaining tied to a particular feeder cadre.
Court Rejects Other Challenges
The petitioners also argued that the amendment was procedurally defective and altered cadre-wise earmarked promotional posts. The High Court rejected both arguments.
It held that there was no existing cadre-wise earmarking of promotional posts and that any procedural irregularity during the internal decision-making process would not invalidate statutory rules that were properly approved and officially notified.
Background of the Dispute
The petitioners argued that promotional quotas should not change merely because the number of officers in different feeder cadres changes over time.
The Arunachal Pradesh Government responded that the amendment was introduced after detailed deliberations and recommendations to remove long-standing imbalances in promotion opportunities among Civil Police, IRBn and AAPBn officers.
The Court accepted the government’s reasoning and found that the amendment promotes balanced cadre management and equal distribution of promotional opportunities.
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