Judgment

HANSARIA, J.:- 1 st of August of the concerned year has been fixed as the date with reference to which the eligibility of persons, desirous of sitting in competitive examination for recruitment to the Indian Administrative Service/Indian Foreign Services etc., qua their age for which both minimum and maximum is normally fixed is being determined. This cut off date had been fixed when the Union Public Service Commission had been conducting only one written examination which used to be normally after the 1st August. The Commission, however, felt the necessity of holding a preliminary examination which normally takes place before 1st day of August. Even so, the eligibility of the applicant, regarding satisfaction of the age requirement continued to be ascertained with reference to his age as on 1st August of the concerned year.

2. The aforesaid cut off date came to be challenged before various Central Administrative Tribunals, one of which is Central Administrative Tribunal at Allahabad. The Tribunal in its earlier decisions rendered, inter alia, in OA No. 778/91 and 881/91 on 19-9-91 did not find anything arbitrary in taking 1st August as the cut off date despite holding of th