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Union of India and Others vs Harbans Lal Verma 2026 INSC 739
Promotions in Same Grade Pay Count for MACPS: Supreme Court Settles Guard Cadre Dispute
Case Snapshot
Case Name: Union of India and Others v. Harbans Lal Verma (with connected appeals)
Citation: 2026 INSC 739
Bench: Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Augustine George Masih
Date of Judgment: July 23, 2026
Area of Law: Service Law, Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACPS), Central Civil Services
Judgment in Brief
The Supreme Court allowed the appeals filed by the Union of India and set aside the judgments of the High Court and the Central Administrative Tribunal, which had directed the grant of financial upgradations under the Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACPS) to a Mail/Express Guard at Grade Pay ₹4600 and ₹4800. The Court held that Paragraph 8 of the MACPS mandates that promotions earned in posts carrying the same Grade Pay in the promotional hierarchy shall be counted for the purpose of MACPS. The Guard cadre consists of distinct promotional posts—Goods Guard, Senior Goods Guard, Passenger Guard, Senior Passenger Guard, and Mail/Express Guard—all carrying Grade Pay ₹4200 after the Sixth Pay Commission. An employee who has traversed the entire hierarchy up to Mail/Express Guard has earned three counted promotions and has exhausted all three MACPS upgradation slots. The Court clarified that the illustration to Paragraph 5 is a transitional provision and does not override Paragraph 8. The Railway Board's circulars (RBE No. 76/2011 and RBE No. 142/2012) were held to be binding interpretations of the Scheme.
Relevant Facts
The respondent joined the Indian Railways as Goods Guard on August 13, 1976. He was promoted to Passenger Guard on March 13, 1992, and to Mail/Express Guard on June 22, 1993, the highest post in the Guard cadre.
He retired on March 31, 2009, after serving over 32 years, all within the Guard cadre.
The Sixth Central Pay Commission merged the pre-revised pay scales of the Guard cadre into Grade Pay ₹4200 for all posts above Goods Guard.
The Railway Board introduced the MACPS vide RBE No. 101/2009 dated June 10, 2009, providing for three financial upgradations at 10, 20, and 30 years of servi
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