AMARESHWAR SAHAY, J. - (1.) HEARD Mr. Rajendra Krishna, learned Counsel appearing for the petitioners and Mr. Anoop Kumar Mehta, learned Counsel appearing for the Ranchi University.
(2.) IN this writ application, the petitioners have prayed for the following reliefs: (i) to quash Annexures -1, 1/A and 1/B of the writ petition dated 29.09 2007 by which the candidature of the three petitioners for contesting Students Union Election of the Ranchi University had been rejected by the Returning Officer of the Students Union Election, Chotanagpur Law College, Ranchi on the ground that they have crossed the maximum age limits for contesting the said Election; (ii) to quash the letter dated 30th September, 2007 (Annexure -3) by which the application of the petitioners for reviewing the said decision rejecting their candidature has been rejected by the Dean, Students Welfare, Ranchi University (Respondent No. 3) (iii) to declare the amendments made by the Ranchi University in the statutes of the University fixing 24 years as the maximum age for the students of LL.B. course to contest the election. As it appears from the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of University of Kerala v. Council, Principals, Colleges, Kerala and Ors. reported in (2006) 8 SCC 304 which has been annexed as Annexure -8 to the Supplementary Affidavit filed by the petitioner, that the Apex Court, by accepting the recommendations of a Committee constituted by it and headed by Mr. J.M. Lyngdoh, gave several directions incorporated in the Judgment for being implemented and followed in all Colleges/University Elections.
(3.) MR . Rajendra Krishna, learned Counsel appearing for the petitioners referred Clause 6.5 i.e. Eligibility criteria for candidates as mentioned in the aforementioned Judgment of the Supreme Court and submitted that as per Clause 6.5.1, the age limits for the students contesting election under the category of Undergraduate students was fixed between 17 to 22 years. However, this age limit was liable to be relaxed in the case of students of professional colleges where courses range between 4 to 5 years. For the Post Graduate students, the age limit to contest the election was fixed between 24 -25 years under Clause 6.5.2.;