KESHOTE, J. - (1.) THESE two letter petitions are before the court for final disposal.
(2.) PETITIONERS, namely, Anita Kumari (In Writ Petition No. 7306/04) and Ishwar Jakhar & Pradeep Mayla (In Writ Petition No. 7308/04), made the grievance in the matter that prescribing of minimum age of 24 years for appointment on the post of Lecturer in school education, is not justified. The petitioners sent the letters to the court and the same are treated as writ petitions on 11. 10. 2004. Notices were issued to the respondents, returnable on 8. 11. 2004. On 3. 12. 2004 Shri J. K. Agarwal, Additional Government Advocate, put appearance and on his request time was granted to file reply and the matters were adjourned to 14. 1. 2005. The matters came up for hearing in the court on 17. 1. 2005. Though more than one month and fourteen days time was available to the respondent State but reply to the writ petitions was not filed. On 7. 1. 2005 again the learned Additional Government Advocate made a request for grant of further two weeks time to file reply to the writ petitions. The Rajasthan Public Service Commission was not considered necessary party to the writ petitions and on that date its name was deleted from the array of the respondents from both the writ petitions. On 17. 1. 2005, the learned Additional Government Advocate, Shri J. K. Agarwal, further prayed for grant of two weeks time to file reply to the writ petitions but looking to the fact that the State of Rajasthan and its Officers take litigation pending against them leisurely, the court granted them four weeks time for this purpose.
(3.) ON 17. 2. 2005 the matter came up for hearing. Though four weeks time was granted to the State to file reply to the writ petitions, it failed to file the same and the Additional Government Advocate, appearing on its behalf, as usual prayed for grant of two weeks time to file reply and the court, taking a lenient view, granted the same. On 22. 3. 2005 the matters were placed on the Board but could not reach and came up for hearing on the Board on 18. 5. 2005 for hearing. In between 22. 3. 2005 and 18. 5. 2005 the period of one month and twenty-six days was available with the respondent State, had it really been desireous of filing reply to the writ petitions but on its behalf reply to the writ petitions has not been filed. On 18. 5. 2005 Shri J. K. Agarwal, Additional Government Advocate, put appearance and sought adjournment on the ground that his name has not been shown on the Board; the court granted the prayer made and fixed the matter on 205. 5. 2005. The matters came up for hearing on 23. 5. 2005 and on that date also the name of Shri J. K. Agarwal was not shown and hence the matters were adjourned to 25. 5. 2005. The State has not chosen to file reply to the writ petitions for the reasons best known to it. We appreciate Shri B. L. Jaiman, the Secretary to the Government, Education Department, Government of Rajasthan, Jaipur, present in the court, who gave out that the amendment in the Rajasthan Education Service Rules, 1970 (hereinafter shall be referred to as `the Rule, 1970') in order to reduce the minimum age of 24 years prescribed for appointment to the post of Lecturer in School Education, to 21 years, is under consideration of the Government of Rajasthan. Be that as it may be, the amendment has not been brought so far, in the Rules, 1970. ;