SANGITA JAIN Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) ALL the aforesaid writ petitions although have been filed with different prayers and are founded on different legal grounds but since they pertain to the same process of selection for appointment on the posts of Assistant Agricultural Engineers initiated by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (for short "the Commission") vide advertisement dated 26-10-1996 as amended by corrigendum dated 21-12-1996 and yet another corrigendum dated 30-1-1997, these writ petitions were ordered to be connected with each other and therefore they were heard together and are now being disposed of by this common judgment.

(2.) THE Commission issued an advertisement on 26-10-1996 inviting thereby applications from eligible candidates for appointment on 20 posts of Assistant Agricultural Engineers in the Agricultural Department of the Government of Rajasthan. THE Commission issued corrigendum on 21-12-1996 increasing the number of posts from 20 to 48. Even as the process of selection was still on, the State of Rajasthan vide notification dated 22-1-1997 brought about an omnibus amendment in all its Services Rules including in the Rajasthan Agriculture Service Rule 1960 (for short "the Rules of 1960") with which we are concerned in these cases. Such amendment provided reservation to women candidates in service to the extent of 20% in direct recruitment. THE Commission thereafter again issued corrigendum on 30-1-1997 to notify that such reservations shall be provided to the women candidates out of 48 posts as originally advertisement in the subject recruitment also.

(3.) SHRI B.S. Chhaba, learned Deputy Government Advocate also joined SHRI S.N. Kumawat in opposing the writ petition by adopting his arguments and submitted that the writ petitions are liable to be dismissed.