- (1.) This appeal by special leave arises from the judgment of the learned single Judge of the Orissa High Court, made on February 21, 1986 in Second Appeal No. 767/81, dismissing the second appeal in limine.
(2.) Admittedly, the respondent joined the State service as a Clerk on 21-3-1944. According to the Matriculation Certificate produced at the time of the entry into the service, his date of birth is January 1, 1921. On attaining the superannuation, he retired from service on 31-12-1978. He filed a suit in the year 1981 on the basis of the rejection of his representation for declaration that his correct date of birth is January 1, 1925 and not January 1, 1921. The trial Court dismissed the suit, but on appeal, the Additional District Judge, Bhubaneshwar decreed the suit. As stated earlier, the second appeal was dismissed by the High Court. Thus, this appeal by special leave.
(3.) The controversy is no longer res integra. This Court has considered the entire case law on this point in State of Tamil Nadu v. T. V. Venugopalan, (1994) 6 SCC 302 . Therein, this Court has held thus: "It is well known that the service record would be opened after the government servant enters the service and normally the entry in service record would be countersigned by the government servant. The date of birth as entered in the school record is the source of material for making entry in the service record." ;