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Showing contexts for: age relaxation in Gaurav Pradhan And Ors. vs The State Of Rajasthan And Ors. on 18 August, 2017Matching Fragments
3. The Rajasthan Public Service Commission issued an advertisement dated 14.10.2010 inviting applications for selection on various posts of constables. On 25.10.2010 another advertisement was issued by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission for selection on the post of Sub Inspector of Police. The selection process for the posts of constables as well as post of Sub Inspector of Police comprised of the different stages. During process of selection, the State Government issued a circular dated 11.05.2011 providing that candidates of BC/SBC/SC/ST irrespective of whether they have availed of any concession including relaxation in age shall be migrated against open category vacancies if they have secured more marks than the last candidate of open category. Select list of constables was issued on 01.07.2011 whereas result of Sub Inspector of Police was issued on 25.02.2013. Various writ petitions were filed by the general category candidates where they have questioned the circular dated 11.05.2011 and preparation of select list accordingly. The case of the general category candidates was that those reserved category candidates who have taken concession of relaxation of age in competition for post of constable/SI of Police cannot be migrated to general category vacancies. Learned Single Judge decided Special Writ Petitions vide judgment dated 27.12.2012 taking view that circular dated 11.05.2011 is not applicable since the recruitment process had began prior to circular 11.05.2011. It was held that migration of reserved category candidates to open/general category can be permitted as per earlier circular dated 24.06.2008. With regard to circular dated 11.05.2011, it was held that the said circular needs to be given proper interpretation. Learned Single Judge held that only those who have taken benefit of concession of fee and not the relaxation in age during the process of selection would be allowed to migrate to open/general category if obtained equal or more marks to the last candidate in open/general category. As noted above, other group of writ petitions was decided by the Single Judge vide judgment dated 08.11.2013 following the judgment dated 27.04.2012.
“72. Soon after the enforcement of the 1994 Act the Government issued Instructions dated 2531994 on the subject of reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward groups in the Uttar Pradesh Public Services. These instructions, inter alia, provide as under:
“4. If any person belonging to reserved categories is selected on the basis of merits in open competition along with general category candidates, then he will not be adjusted towards reserved category, that is, he shall be deemed to have been adjusted against the unreserved vacancies. It shall be immaterial that he has availed any facility or relaxation (like relaxation in agelimit) available to reserved category.” From the above it becomes quite apparent that the relaxation in agelimit is merely to enable the reserved category candidate to compete with the general category candidate, all other things being equal. The State has not treated the relaxation in age and fee as relaxation in the standard for selection, based on the merit of the candidate in the selection test i.e. main written test followed by interview. Therefore, such relaxations cannot deprive a reserved category candidate of the right to be considered as a general category candidate on the basis of merit in the competitive examination. Subsection (2) of Section 8 further provides that government orders in force on the commencement of the Act in respect of the concessions and relaxations including relaxation in upper age limit which are not inconsistent with the Act continue to be applicable till they are modified or revoked.”
27. The last line of the the Government instructions dated 25.03.1994 as quoted above provided “It shall be immaterial that he has availed any facility or relaxation (like relaxation in agelimit) available to reserved category”.
28. The provisions of Section 3 subSection (6) of 1994 Act read with instructions dated 25.3.1994 clearly meant that grant of age relaxation to reserved category candidate does not militate against him being treated as general category candidate if he has obtained more marks than the last general category candidate. This Court in the above case has also made general observation specially in para 75 which is to the following effect:
“75. In our opinion, the relaxation in age does not in any manner upset the “level playing field”. It is not possible to accept the submission of the learned counsel for the appellants that relaxation in age or the concession in fee would in any manner be infringement of Article 16(1) of the Constitution of India. These concessions are provisions pertaining to the eligibility of a candidate to appear in the competitive examination. At the time when the concessions are availed, the open competition has not commenced. It commences when all the candidates who fulfil the eligibility conditions, namely, qualifications, age, preliminary written test and physical test are permitted to sit in the main written examination. With age relaxation and the fee concession, the reserved candidates are merely brought within the zone of consideration, so that they can participate in the open competition on merit. Once the candidate participates in the written examination, it is immaterial as to which category, the candidate belongs. All the candidates to be declared eligible had participated in the preliminary test as also in the physical test.