P R E S S   R E L E A S E 

AIBOBOU Files Writ Petition in Rajasthan High Court Challenging 

Bank of Baroda’s GEMS System and Promotion Policy 2025

Jaipur, November 19, 2025
In a significant escalation of its long-standing objections to Bank of Baroda’s new appraisal and promotion systems, the All India Bank of Baroda Officers’ Union (AIBOBOU), affiliated to AIBOA, has filed a writ petition before the Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur Bench, challenging what it calls the “illegal, opaque, and unconstitutional” GEMS performance evaluation system and the Promotion Policy 2025.

The petition, registered as S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 57524/2025, seeks judicial intervention to halt the implementation of the bank’s new assessment mechanisms, alleging that they violate statutory norms, undermine natural justice, and erode the rights of thousands of officers.

Union Says GEMS Replaced Statutory APAR Without Approval

AIBOBOU General Secretary K. Srinivasarao said the union had placed before officers “the true facts, legal position, and grave concerns” surrounding GEMS — a data-driven, algorithm-based scoring mechanism that the bank has deployed in place of the traditional Annual Performance Appraisal Report (APAR).

According to the union, APAR is a statutory, DFS-mandated system applicable across all public sector banks. Any change to it requires:

• Board approval under Section 19(1)(d) of the Bank of Baroda Act, 1970

• Approval from the Department of Financial Services (DFS)

• Consultation with recognised officer unions
  
  

The union alleges that none of these statutory requirements were fulfilled before introducing GEMS.

Allegations of Opacity, Algorithmic Discretion, and Human Exclusion

The petition and the accompanying circular detail several concerns, including:

• Secret algorithms deciding officer scores

• Hidden methodology for data selection, score computation, and target setting

• Cohorts (undisclosed comparison groups) determining promotion prospects

• Extrapolation of missing data — “fabricated scores,” according to the union

• 85:15 business–non-business ratio applied even to non-business roles

• Women on maternity leave allegedly penalised due to non-scoring KRAs

AIBOBOU argues that these practices violate Articles 14, 16, and 21 of the Constitution by creating arbitrary classifications and denying fairness and transparency.

Promotion Policy 2025 Also Under Challenge

The union has also attacked the Promotion Policy 2025, introduced through Circular 0663 dated November 6, 2025. According to AIBOBOU, the policy introduces:

• Wide discretionary powers for senior management

• Mandatory residual service conditions without rationale

• Different rules for specialists and generalists

• No disclosure of written-exam marks or cut-offs

• A system in which only successful candidates can view their results
  
  

The union contends that this secrecy violates Supreme Court precedents mandating transparent selection processes in public institutions.

Why the Case Was Filed Now

AIBOBOU states that while the APAR-to-GEMS transition had been unfolding over the past two years, the recent introduction of the Promotion Policy 2025 — allegedly tied directly to GEMS scores — prompted urgent legal action.

“Promotions based on illegal, opaque scores cause irreversible damage,” the union said. “A public sector bank cannot shift from a statutory, transparent system to an algorithmic black box without legal sanction.”

Union Criticises “Recognised Majority Association” for Silence

In unusually sharp language, the circular questions why the recognised majority association allegedly stayed silent when:

• APAR was replaced with GEMS

• Discretionary marks were increased

• Cohort-based comparisons began

• The new promotion policy was introduced

The petition reportedly names the recognised association as a respondent, asking the court to examine its “unexplained silence.”

Reliefs Sought Before the High Court

AIBOBOU has urged the Rajasthan High Court to:

1. Stay the use of GEMS scores

2. Stay the Promotion Policy 2025 pending judicial scrutiny

3. Direct the bank to restore APAR until legality is reviewed

4. Ensure transparency in written exams, scoring sheets, cut-offs, and cohort data

5. Order publication of merit lists and evaluation parameters
   
   

“This Is About the Future of Every Barodian Officer”

The union said the dispute is not confined to one year or one promotion cycle. “If GEMS continues unchecked, promotions will no longer reflect merit. Scores will depend on secret cohorts, opaque algorithms, and unverifiable data,” the circular states.

Reiterating its commitment, AIBOBOU declared:
“We will not allow a future where an officer does not know how their score was generated or who they were compared against. This struggle is for transparency, fairness, and constitutional compliance.”