- (1.) With the consent of the parties, all the writ petitions were taken up for consideration together and are being disposed of by this common order.
(2.) A convenient manner of the disposal of the writ petitions would be to identify the issues involved in all the cases and thereafter deal with the writ petitions in which all or some of the issues are involved. The final results of the Petitioners which have been placed before the Court by the Respondents would facilitate the determination of the relief (s) that would be due to each of the Petitioners.
(3.) The broad facts that will have to be noticed may be recapitulated by stating that on 02.05.2010, an advertisement was issued for filling up, inter-alia, 34 posts of Medical Officer (Dental). The educational and other qualifications for the post of Medical Officer (Dental), as specified in the advertisement, were a B.D.S. Degree with the added requirement that the candidates should be registered in part 'A' of the register of the State Dental Council as prescribed by the Dentist Act, 1948. Clause 3 (ii) stipulated that knowledge of Punjabi up to Matriculation Standard was essential and candidates who do not possess the said qualification will have to acquire the same within six months of their joining. A written test pursuant to the advertisement was held on 08.08.2010 and the result thereof was published on 07.09.2010. Subsequent thereto but before the interviews were held, a corrigendum dated 23.09.2010 was issued clarifying that a ?candidate must have passed up to Matriculation Standard according to the Punjab Civil Services (General and Common Conditions of Service) Rules, 1994?. The aforesaid corrigendum was issued to really mean that a candidate to be eligible for appointment must have passed the Matriculation with Punjabi as one of the subjects, which is what the provisions of the 1994 Rules contemplate. Some of the candidates who did not have registration with the State Dental Council (Punjab Dental Council) were held to be disqualified. Further more, all candidates, who did not have Punjabi as one of the papers in the Matriculation examination, were also held to be disqualified. Accordingly, the writ petitions in question have been filed.;