JUDGMENT :

1. In all these writ petitions, petitioners have raised a similar grievance in respect of seeking permission to apply/participate in the recruitment for posts of Ayurvedic Chikitsak, Unani Chikitsak & Homeopathy Chikitsak, pursuant to different advertisements bearing No. 02/2023, 03/2023 & 04/2023 respectively, notified by the respondent-AYUSH Department of Rajasthan, Jaipur. Since grievance of petitioners are identical in nature, therefore, with consent of learned counsel for both parties, all writ petitions have been heard together and would stand decided by this common Judgment.

2. Respondent-AYUSH Department issued three separate advertisements, notifying vacancies for posts of Ayurvedic Chikitsak, Unani Chikitsak & Homeopathy Chikitsak under the Rajasthan Ayurvedic, Unani, Homoeopathy and Naturopathy Service Rules, 1973 (as amended) (hereinafter for short “the Rules of 1973”). According to advertisements, requisite eligibility and qualification to apply/participate for posts in question, is the Bachelor Degree in the respective discipline as much as registration with the Rajasthan Indian Medicine Board (hereinafter for short “the Board”) and it has been specifically stipulated that such eligibility should be acquired by aspirants till the last date appointed under the advertisements to submit online application form. In respect of internship, it has been indicated that the internship of aspirants should have been completed till the last date appointed under the advertisements to fill online application form. For ready reference, relevant portion of one of the advertisements, which is substantially similar in all three advertisements, is being reproduced hereunder:-

3. All petitioners are stated to be completed the academic degree course in their respective discipline, however, admittedly have not completed the internship. The case of petitioners is that their internship is likely to be completed, in case of few petitioners, period lacks few days and in case of other petitioners, period lacks few months. It has been submitted on behalf of petitioners that the internship period started after completion of the academic course of Bachelor degree by the University, which was commenced belatedly, due to pandemic Covid-19 situations and since the delay occurred in conducting the examinations of the degree course, consequentially the internship also belated, for which petitioners are not at fault. Hence, it has been prayed that the cut off date, determined by respondents in advertisements to complete the internship as much as to ensure registration by candidates before the Board up to the last date for submission of application form, be relaxed and cut off date be extended, at least up to the stage of documents verification, in respect of the present recruitment.

4. Learned counsel for petitioners have also referred Rule 37 of the Rules of 1973, to contend that the power to relax the eligibility criteria in any peculiar situation rest and vest with the State Government. Therefore, in such