ORDER

1.Leave granted.

2.We have heard the learned counsel for the parties.

3. This matter relates to the question whether the appellant is entitled to claim the benefit of his military service before appointment on the post of Inspector of Cooperative Societies after his release from the Army. The said question depends on the interpretation of Rules 4(a) and (b) and 5 of the Demobilised Armed Forces Personnel [Reservation of Vacancies in the Punjab State (Non-Technical Services)] Rules, 1968. The appellant has been denied the benefit of his military service on the ground that the minimum qualification prescribed for appointment on the post of Inspector was graduation and the appellant did not possess the said qualification on 14-4- 1965, the date from which he is claiming the benefit of military service. This question has been considered by this Court in Charan Singh v. State of Punjab1 wherein it has been held that the reading of Rule 4(a) and (b) and Rule 5 together would suggest that it is not necessary that the person should have been qualified to apply for the post when the first opportunity became available to him while he was in military service and that he must be qualifie