K.Shreedharan, J.

1. These two writ petitions have come before us on a reference made by one of the learned Judges of this Court.

2. The issue referred is as to whether the Public Service Commission in deciding the merits of a candidate is justified in granting the benefit of more marks by rounding off the marks obtained in the examination. Learned Judge doubted the correctness of the decision rendered by this Court in Asha Mehta v. State of Punjab and Anr., 1993(3) RSJ 1 and that of a Division Bench in CWP No. 1112 of 1996. These decisions strike a different note from those in CWP Nos. 4527/1993, 821/1996 and 12663/1995. For proper understanding of the issue involved in these cases, it is necessary to refer to the bare facts of the cases.

3. Petitioners in these cases were candidates for the post of PCS (Judicial.). In pursuance to the Notification issued by Public Service Commission, Punjab, petitioners submitted applications for the said posts. They satisfied the eligibility criteria fixed in the Notification. They were called for competitive examination which was held in October, 1993. Their names did not appear in the list of candidates eligible for being called for in