DINESH SHARMA Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Since the above writ petitions arise out of almost identical facts and circumstances, involve a common cause of action, similar grievances, raise common questions of law and facts for consideration by this Court, the same were, with the consent of learned counsel appearing for the respective parties, heard analogously and are being decided by this common judgment. For the sake of convenience and to avoid repetition of facts, the pleadings and facts stated in S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 16386/2025, Dinesh Sharma and Others vs. State of Rajasthan & Others. are being taken as the lead case and are referred to for the purpose of adjudication of the issues involved in the present batch of petitions.

(2.) Petitioners have challenged legality and validity of the action of the respondents in granting an additional relaxation of 5% in the maximum permissible mistakes/errors in Phase-II of the recruitment process for the posts of Stenographer and Personal Assistant Grade-II pursuant to the advertisement dtd. 26/2/2024. The petitioners have further prayed for quashing the provisional merit list dtd. 25/9/2025 and further actions on the ground that the grant of such relaxation is contrary to Clause 22(6)(iv) of the advertisement and the governing service rules.

(3.) The facts giving rise to the present petitions, briefly stated, are that at the instance of respondent-Government, the Rajasthan Staff Selection Board issued an advertisement dtd. 26/2/2024 inviting applications for recruitment to the posts of Stenographer and Personal Assistant Grade-II in the Secretariat as well as subordinate offices of the State Government. As many as 444 vacancies were advertised for the aforesaid for Non-TSP area and the recruitment was governed by the Rajasthan Secretariat Ministerial Service Rules, 1970 (hereinafter to be referred as 'the Rules of 1970'), the Rajasthan Subordinate Ministerial Service Rules, 1999 and the Rajasthan Scheduled Areas Subordinate, Ministerial and Class-IV Service (Recruitment & Other Service Conditions) Rules, 2014.