- (1.) BY the Court. - The present petition has been preferred for reduction of the minimum age required for the post of Junior Engineer advertised by the respondent State. The minimum age prescribed by the respondent State for appointment on the post of Junior Engineer is 21 years as amended by the corrigendum (Annexure 10 to the memo of the petition) issued by the respondent State but as per the submission of the counsel for the petitioner, the age of appointment should be 18 years.
(2.) COUNSEL for the petitioner also submitted that in various other institutions the minimum age limit for appointment on the post of Junior Engineer is 18 years and since qualification for the post of Junior Engineer is diploma in Engineering and normally, after Standard X, it takes three years to complete diploma in Engineering and generally, a person acquires a diploma in Engineering at the age of 18 years and therefore, Government should have taken a policy decision that age for appointment on the post of Junior Engineer should be 18 year instead of 21 years. Counsel for the respondents submitted that it is a policy decision taken by the respondent State that 21 years is the minimum age limit for appointment on the post of Junior Engineer while the maximum is 35 years. Counsel for the State submitted that a candidate might hold a diploma in Engineering at the age of 18 years but they lack the maturity and wisdom required for a candidate to be appointed and discharge the duties associated with the post of Junior Engineer and therefore. the respondent State has taken a policy decision that the minimum age of the candidate applying for the post of Junior Engineer is 21 years considering tile nature of the duties and work associated with the post of Junior Engineer and therefore, the policy decision taken by the State may not be altered by the Court in exercise of the power under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.
(3.) COUNSEL appearing for the respondent Nos. 4 and 5 has accepted the argument canvassed by the State and has further submitted that there is no legal duty vested in the respondents to prescribe the age of 18 years for appointment on the post of Junior Engineer and consequently. there is no corresponding right vested in the petitioner to be appointed at the age of 18 years and hence no writ of mandamus can be issued by this Court upon the respondents.;