Current promotion system is flawed, urgently needs reform: Himachal High Court

December 31, 2025

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has constituted a high-level committee to review the entire promotion process for constables to head constables in the police department, citing flaws and inconsistencies in the existing B-1 test system. The High Court has formed this committee under the chairmanship of the Principal Secretary (Home).

The committee will include the Principal Secretary Personnel, Director General of Police, Law Secretary, ADGP CID Law and Order, Training, and the IGs of the Northern, Central, and Southern Ranges as members. This committee will thoroughly examine all aspects related to the promotion of constables and the issues that have been pending for the last 10 years.

Specifically, a report will be prepared on the necessity of the B-1 test and the relevance of its current format. Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua’s court has ordered the committee to submit its detailed report to the court by March 6, 2026. The court observed that currently, 60 percent of the posts are filled through the B-1 test, while 30 percent are filled on the basis of seniority. However, many police personnel remain without promotion even after reaching retirement age.

The court clarified that although there is no fundamental right to promotion, the right to fair consideration for promotion is part of the right to equality. The court stated that the police department’s own reports indicate that the existing promotion system is flawed and urgently needs reform. The government should approach this not as an adversarial litigant, but as a welfare-oriented employer.

This court decision has raised new hopes for promotion among thousands of police constables in the state. The court observed in its judgment that the Himachal Pradesh Police is still following the Punjab Police Rules of 1934, even though the state’s own Himachal Pradesh Police Act, 2007, has been enacted. Due to the state government’s failure to frame its own rules, the old and irrelevant rules are still being followed. The petitioners have argued that this test is unfair and affects the promotion rights of constables deployed in field duty.