T.SHARMILA Vs. THESECRETARY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) AS the issue involved in all these writ petitions is one and the same, they have been taken up together and disposed of by way of a common order.

(2.) THE petitioners are few of the candidates, who have applied to the respondent for appointment by direct recruitment to the posts included in the Combined Subordinate Services Examination -I for the years 2011 -12 and 2012 -13. The notification was issued in Notification No. 19()A/2012 dated 13.6.2012. As per the said notification, applications were invited through online mode upto 13.7.2012. Clause 3(B)(a) of the notification speaks about the educational qualification. It also states that the candidates should possess the qualification on the date of the qualification viz., 13.6.2012. All the petitioners wrote their examinations much prior to the notification. However, they got their results declared on 27.6.2012 after the publication notification. After their results were declared the petitioners applied online before the expiry of the last date i.e., 13.7.2012. They were permitted to write the written Examination. It is not in dispute that they scored high marks. They were also called for the interview. However, by a subsequent decision in pursuant to the meeting held on 6.11.2013 the respondent made a decision to reject the applications of the petitioners on the ground that the petitioners' result having been declared after the date of the notification their applications should be rejected. Seeking a direction to the respondent to consider the claim of the petitioners for appointment by accepting the Degree Qualification as satisfying the educational qualification and well within the cut -off date the present writ petitions have been filed.

(3.) PER contra, Mr.N.S.Nandakumar, learned counsel appearing for the respondent submitted that the notification governs the case on hand. Though the petitioners completed their degree on 27.6.2012, the crucial date is the qualification as on the date of the notification, which is 13.6.2012. Learned counsel in support of his contention has made reliance upon the following decisions: