Judgment

N.M.KASLIWAL, J.

(1) SPECIAL leave granted.

(2) THE above two writ petitions and four civil appeals are disposed of by one single order as identical questions of law are involved in these cases. In order to appreciate the controversy in these cases we shall refer to the paper book of Civilarising out of S.L.P. (Civil) No. 14292 of 1989. All the appellants as well as the two petitioners in the writ petitions would be referred herein as the petitioners.

(3) AN advertisement was published in the Tribune (English) on 3/08/1988 by the office of the Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Punjab Chairman Selection Committee, Patiala for appointment to 47 posts of Excise and Taxation Inspectors. In the advertisement it was provided that there will be three written papers of English, Punjabi and General Knowledge of B.A. standard. Those who get 33 per cent marks in each paper and 40 per cent marks in aggregate will be called for interview. Total marks for the written test were kept at 300 and for interview 100. Written examination was held in January 1989 in which all the petitioners appeared and were also called for interview but they did not qualify