LAW FOR ALL

CUT OFF DATE - whether the candidate must have the prescribed educational and other qualifications as on the particular date specified in the Rule or the advertisement is no longer res integra.“13. …..(i) that the cut-off date by reference to which the eligibility requirement must be satisfied by the candidate seeking a public employment is the date appointed by the relevant service rules and if there be no cut-off date appointed by the rules then such date as may be appointed for the purpose in the advertisement calling for applications; (ii) that if there be no such date appointed then the eligibility criteria shall be applied by reference to the last date appointed by which the applications have to be received by the competent authority.” = It is to be noted that the petitioner did not hold Ph.D. Degree certificate before the last date prescribed for receipt of applications and apparently he did not enclose a copy of the said Degree. It appears that it is for this reason he was called upon to submit the copies. From this it cannot be inferred that it was intended to treat the petitioner as eligible for consideration. The Scrutiny Committee is not at all a competent authority to accord any relaxation with respect to the conditions of the Recruitment Notification. The instant case is the one in which no specific date has been mentioned as cut-off date with regard to the eligibility requirement. Therefore, the last date appointed for submission of applications shall be treated as the cut-off date. Clearly, therefore, the petitioner is not qualified and not entitled for consideration. 19. For the foregoing reasons, there are no merits in the writ petition and it is accordingly dismissed. No order as to costs. 20. In view of the disposal of the writ petition, W.P.M.P.No.4954 of 2013 is dismissed as unnecessary.