T.MUKESH KUMAR Vs. STATE OF TAMIL NADU

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The cut off date is the ground raised for assailing the actions of the respondents in respect of the recruitment to Group I posts in the Government of Tamil Nadu. The present batch of writ petitions are filed on the premise that for want of one day or a short span of period, the candidates were not permitted to sit for the written examination as well as to participate in the process of selection for recruitment to the posts of Group I services. At the outset, the cut off date for maximum age limit fixed in Notification No.1 of 2019 dated 01.01.2019 as 01.07.2019 is under challenge.

(2.) The facts in nut shell to be considered for the purpose of deciding the issues raised in the present writ petitions are, that the petitioners are educationally qualified to participate in the process of selection for recruitment to the posts of Group I services. However, they are disqualified on the ground that they have crossed the maximum age limit of 37 years prescribed in the recruitment notification dated 01.01.2019.

(3.) In this regard, the respective learned counsels appearing on behalf of the writ petitioners contended that fixation of cut off date for maximum age limit fixed after the date of notification is unfair. In fact, the recruitment notification was issued on 01.01.2019 and the cut off date for maximum age limit was fixed as 01.07.2019. Therefore, such a fixation is irrational and not in accordance with the previous notifications issued by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission for recruitment to various other posts. In earlier occasions, the recruitment notifications were issued fixing the maximum age limit prior to the date of issuance of the notification. However, in the impugned notification dated 01.01.2019, the cut off date is fixed as 01.07.2019 for the maximum age limit, which is much after the date of the notification.