The petitioners, contenders for Group-D posts under the N.F. Railways (for short, hereinafter also referred to as 'the Railways') having unsuccessfully challenged the selection process initiated by the Employment Notice No. 1/2008 (Group-D) therefor before the learned Central Administrative Tribunal, Gauhati Bench, Guwahati (hereinafter referred to as 'the learned Tribunal'), have carried the impugnment before this Court seeking redress.

2. We have heard Mr B Pathak, learned counsel for the petitioners and Mr MK Choudhury, Senior Advocate assisted by Mr HK Das, Advocate for the respondents.

3. The factual background in its bare essentials would provide the setting. In the year 2008, the Railways issued the aforemen#31;tioned Employment Notice for recruitment to Group-D posts under it. According to the petitioners, being eligible in terms thereof they offered their candidature and having been declared successful in the Physical Efficiency Test (PET) conducted by the Railways, they appeared in the written examination held on 16.10.2011 in which in all 53,992 candidates participated. The examination was conducted in 140 centers spread over various towns within the territ