SITANGSU KUMAR DEY Vs. AIRPORTS AUTHORITY OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Mr. Partha Sarathi Bhattacharya is appointed as amicus curiae in view of the urgency and peculiar facts and circumstance of the case, Mr. Bhattacharya has been rendered an able assistance to this Court for adjudicating this writ petition which had to be heard and decided by today.

(2.) The Airports Authority of India (in short, "AAI") being the respondent no.1 in this writ petition published an advertisement for recruiting Junior Assistant (Fire Service) NE-4 along with Senior Assistant (Electricians) NE-6 and Senior Assistant (Accounts) NE-6 on 30/9/2022. In this writ petition, we are only concerned with the vacancies declared against Junior Assistant (Fire Service) NE-4 as the petitioners had participated in such recruitment process initiated by issuance of an advertisement dtd. 30/9/2022 (hereinafter referred to as, "the recruitment process of 2022").

(3.) Under the recruitment process of 2022, the age for applying against vaccines for Junior Assistant (Fire Service) was 18 to 30 years as on 30/9/2022. The petitioner nos.1 and 2 who were applicants under Unreserved Category (in short, "UR") and the petitioner no.3 being an applicant under Economically Weaker Sec. (in short, "EWS") were within 30 years being the maximum age as on 30/9/2022. The said advertisement also provided for age relaxation of 5 years for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (in short, "SC/ST"), 3 years for Other Backward Classes, Non-Creamy Layer (in short, "OBC-NCL") candidates as on 30/9/2022. The petitioner no.4 who applied under OBC-NCL category was also below 33 years as on 30/9/2022. The recruitment process of 2022 also provided for relaxation of age for ex- servicemen and departmental candidates who were in regular services of AAI. A different age limit was provided for widows, divorced women and women judiciary separated from their husbands.