SANJIV KHANNA, J.

1. The petitioner is a judicial officer, who joined Delhi Judicial Service on 8th September, 2009. He was enrolled as an Advocate with the Bar Council of India on 3rd August, 2002 and thereafter had worked as an Assistant Public Prosecutor from 2nd April, 2006 till 2nd April, 2008, when he joined Haryana Judicial Service. Thus, the petitioner claims that he has completed seven years of practice at the Bar.

2. The petitioner is not seeking promotion as an officer of the Delhi Judicial Service to the Delhi Higher Judicial Services Rules, 1970.

3. The petitioner applied for selection and appointment as a district judge for direct recruits to the Delhi Higher Judicial Service vide application dated 28th January, 2014, pursuant to the advertisement dated 30th December, 2013. The application stood rejected on the ground that the petitioner being a serving judicial officer was not eligible to apply as a direct recruit. Aggrieved, the petitioner approached the Supreme Court by way of Writ Petition (Civil) No. 256/2014. By order dated 31st March, 2014, the Supreme Court issued notice and permitted the petitioner to appear in the forthcoming preliminary examination