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14. State Bank of India v. M.R. Ganesh Babu[8], decided by a three-Judge bench: Entry into the management cadre in banking establishments, is Junior Management Grade Scale-1. The said cadre comprises of Probationary Officers, Trainee Officers and other officers who possess technical skills (specialized officers), such as Assistant Law Officers, Security Officers, Assistant Engineers, Technical Officers, Medical Officers, Rural Development Officers, and other technical posts. All the posts in the Junior Management Grade Scale-1 cadre, were divisible into two categories – generalist officers, and specialist officers. Under the prevalent rules – the 1979 Order, the benefit of a higher starting pay, was extended only to Probationary Officers and Trainee Officers (i.e. to generalist officers), while Rural Development Officers and other specialist officers like Assistant Law Officers, Security Officers, Assistant Engineers etc., were not entitled to a higher starting pay. Rural Development Officers, agitated their claim for similar benefits, as were extended to Probationary Officers and Trainee Officers (i.e. to the generalist officers). The question of viability of the claim raised by Rural Development Officers, was referred to the Bhatnagar Committee. The Bhatnagar Committee made its recommendation, in favour of Rural Development Officers, finding that they were required to shoulder, by and large, the same duties and responsibilities, as Probationary Officers and Trainee Officers, so far as agricultural advances were concerned. The Committee accordingly recommended, that it was a fit case for removal of the anomaly in their salary fitment. It recommended that, Rural Development Officers be allowed the same fitment of salary at the time of appointment, as was extended to Probationary Officers and Trainee Officers (i.e. to the generalist officers). The recommendation made by the Bhatnagar Committee was accepted, and accordingly, Rural Development Officers were extended the same fitment of salary, as generalist officers.

(ii) Since the benefit of additional increment was denied to other specialist officers, they also made a grievance and claimed the benefit of additional increments, as had been extended to Rural Development Officers. Since the State Bank of India did not accede to their request, they approached the Karnataka High Court. The specialist officers claimed, that in all respects, they performed similar duties and responsibilities, as Rural Development Officers, and therefore, they were entitled to the benefit of additional increments, at the time of their appointment, as had been extended to Rural Development Officers. A learned single Judge of the High Court, on being impressed by the fact, that some of the Rural Development Officers, who had not opted for absorption in the generalist cadre (but had continued under the specialist cadre), were also extended the benefit of higher starting pay, accepted the claim of the specialist officers. Appeals preferred against the judgment rendered by the learned single Judge, were dismissed by a division bench of the High Court.