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5. With reference to the above dates, learned counsel for the petitioners contends that as last date for receiving API score is 18th of July 2019, therefore the relevant date for the purposes of filing of application ought to be treated as 18th of July 2019 by when the subsequent UGC Regulations had already been adopted by the State Government i.e. 28th of June 2019. Submission is that since the recruitment is not being undertaken as per 2018 Regulations, therefore the advertisement is unsustainable.

6. Learned counsel for the petitioners also submits that petitioners had also applied pursuant to a previous advertisement no. 48 which was withdrawn only on the ground that API score has been amended, and therefore, the subsequent Regulations of 2018 alone would be applicable.

7. Reliance is placed upon a Division Bench judgment of this Court in Special Appeal No. 666 of 2018 (Shikha Malviya & another Vs. State of U.P. & 3 others).

8. Sri Manoj Kumar Singh appearing for the Commission and Sri S.K. Dubey, learned Additional Chief Standing Counsel on behalf of the State respondents have opposed the petition.

11. The advertisement has been published on 2.3.2019. Last date for filing of application initially was 16th of April 2019. This advertisement notifying the recruitment has been modified on 22.5.2019. The last date for submitting on-line application form is 17th June 2019 and the last date for filing of application form is 18th of June 2019. The notification of 22th of May 2019 contains another date for submitting the API score which is 18th of July 2019. It is urged that the subsequent date of 18th of July 2019 ought to be treated as the last date for filing of the application.

12. The contention advanced in that regard proceeds on an erroneous assumption that 18th of July 2019 would be the last date for filing of application form. Admittedly, the last date for filing of application form is 18th of June 2019. As the API score is usually counted on the basis of large number of records and often runs into thousands of pages as such the last date for submission of such API score has been fixed as 18th of July 2019. Anyone who has submitted application by 18th of June 2019 alone would be entitled to submit the API Score by 18th of July 2019. Unless the form itself is submitted by 18th of June 2019, no occasion arises for submitting the API Score. The date for submission of API score therefore cannot be treated to be the last date for filing of application form which remains as 18th of June 2019. Admittedly, by 18th of June 2019, the subsequent UGC Regulations of 2018 had not been adopted by the State Government. Such UGC Regulations have been adopted only on 28th of June 2019 which is after the last date fixed for filing of application.