K. Vinod Chandran, J.

1. The appeals are against the common judgment in six writ petitions, wherein the petitioners were all empanelled drivers claiming relaxation of age in the recruitment of Reserve Drivers called for by Exhibit P1 notification. Exhibit P1 notification was issued by the Kerala Public Service Commission (hereinafter referred to as "Commission") and the direct recruitment of Reserve Drivers to be made in the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "the Corporation") called for candidates within the age group of 21 to 40. The benefit of usual relaxation to SC/ST/OBC were applicable. A further concession to provisional hands working in the Corporation to the extent of their provisional service, subject to a maximum of five years, from the upper age limit to those provisional employees who were within the prescribed age limit on the date of first appointment, is the bone of contention in all these cases.

2. There was some controversy with respect to the user of the terms "provisional" and "temporary". While the Commission maintained that the relaxation was only with respect to temporary appointments made under Rule 9(a)(i) of the Ke