( 1. ) BY Notification No. 20/76, dated 4th December 1976, the Public Service Commission invited applications for recruitment to 33 or more temporary posts of Civil Judges. The relevant qualifications for eligibility, as mentioned in the notification are as follows :

" (1) Candidate should be a Graduate in law of any University incorporated by a central Act or an Act of the Legislature of any State in India or of any other University recognised by the State Government or a Barrister at Law or a member of the Faculty of advocates in Scotland or an Advocate or an Attorney duly enrolled in India

(2) Experience at the Bar shall be an additional qualification in that weightage will be given for each completed year, subject to the maximum of three years of practice. "

Applications were to be made in a prescribed form obtained from the Public service Commission. Along with the application form, printed "general instructions to Candidates" were also supplied. Clause 8 of these instructions reads as follows:

"the Commission will make preliminary selection on the basis of the material furnished by the candidates in their applications. The possession of the minimum qualifications prescr