HIGH COURT OF TRIPURA A G A R T A L A WP(C) No.139 of 2025 Dr. Ramananda Ghosh Tarafdar, Age 40 years, Son of Sri Ranendranath Ghosh Tarafdar, resident of Village Vidyanagar, P.O. Kirtantali, P.S. Kailashahar, District Unakoti Tripura, PIN 799279. ……… Petitioner(s)

– V e r s u s –

1. The State of Tripura, To be represented by the Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Govt. of Tripura, New Secretariat Building, New Capital Complex, Kunjaban, P.S. New Capital Complex, Agartala, West Tripura, PIN 799010.

2. The Director, Department of Higher Education, Govt. of Tripura, Siksha Bhawan, Office Lane, Agartala, Tripura, 799001.

3. The Joint Director, Department of Higher Education, Govt. of Tripura, Siksha Bhawan, Office Lane, Agartala, Tripura, 799001.

4. Tripura Public Service Commission, To be represented by the Secretary, TPSC, Government of Tripura, New Secretariat Building, New Capital Complex, Kunjaban, P.S. New Capital Complex, Agartala, West Tripura, PIN 799010.

……..Respondent(s)

For the Petitioner(s) : Mr. P. Roy Barman, Senior Advocate.

Mr. S. Bhattacharjee, Advocate.

Mr. K. Nath, Advocate.

For the Respondent(s) : Mr. K. De, Addl. G.A.

Mr. Raju Datta, Advocate.

Date of hearing : 28^th April, 2025.

& delivery of Judgment & Order YES NO Whether fit for reporting :

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HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE S. DATTA PURKAYASTHA JUDGMENT & ORDER (ORAL)

Heard Mr. P. Roy Barman learned senior counsel assisted by Mr. K. Nath, learned counsel for the petitioner. Also heard Mr. K. De, learned Addl. G.A. for respondent nos.1 to 3 and Mr. Raju Datta, learned counsel for the Tripura Public Service Commission.

[2] The grievance of the petitioner is that the Tripura Public Service Commission (for short TPSC) issued an advertisement vide No.05/2025 (Annexure-2) for selection of candidates for recruitment to 201 permanent posts of Assistant Professor, Group- A Gazetted, Government (General) Degree Colleges under the Education (Higher) Department, Government of Tripura for different subjects/disciplines and one of such discipline was Zoology. Regarding preferred age limit for the candidates was stipulated as under:

“Age:- Maximum 40 years as on 07.03.2025. Relaxable by 5(five) years in case of SC/ST/PH candidates and Government servants. However, Government servants belonging to SC/ST/PH category will not get the further relaxation of 5(five) years which they are already entitled to get as SC/ST/PH candidates.”

[3] The scope of submission of online application of the aspirant candidates were made available from 11.02.2025 to 07.03.2025 (up to 5.30 PM) which indicates that the TPSC has made that cut-off date to calculate the age to be the said last date of submission of online application. However, later on, by another notification dated 06.03.2025 (Annexure-6), the last day of submission of online application was extended up to 17.03.2025 (5.30 PM) but without making any change in respect of said cut-off date regarding the computation of maximum age limit.

[4] According to the petitioner, generally the practice as is being followed by Teachers’ Recruitment Board, Tripura (TRBT), the cut-off date for computing the age is given to be the date of issuing of advertisement and not last date of filing of application. For instance, the petitioner has also submitted one notification dated 10.02.2025 under Annexure-5 issued by said TRBT in respect of selection of Special Educator under Secondary Education Directorate, Education (School) Department, Government of Tripura. According to the petitioner, if said cut-off date in respect of computation of the upper age limit would be fixed by TPSC on the date of advertisement like TRBT, he would get the scope to appear in the said selection process. It is also further stated by him that when in the online portal he attempted to fill up the requisite application form within the stipulated period itself, same was regretted with a message that his age was not suitable for the post of Zoology despite the fact that on the date of advertisement h