Ranjit Singh, J.@mdashThe petitioners are possessing Matric with Hindi as qualification and have also done two years Art and Crafts Teacher Training Diploma from the Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training. On 20.7.2006, some posts of Art and Crafts Teachers were advertised. The petitioners, being eligible, had applied for the said post. Though petitioner No. 1 was called for interview but was not interviewed on the ground that he does not fulfill the requisite qualification. Similarly, petitioner Nos. 2 to 5 were also called for interview on 16.10.2008 but were not interviewed on the same ground. The petitioners would refer to a corrigendum issued on 24.11.2008 on the basis of a decision rendered in a writ petition. The corrigendum has been annexed with the petition as Annexure P-20.
2. The stand of the respondent-Government is that corrigendum was issued only to make those candidates eligible, who were 17 years of age on the cut off date as prescribed in the advertisement i.e. 21.8.2006. As per the State, the eligibility for the qualification was to be considered with effect from the same date and not from any subsequent date or the date of the corrigendum as issued.
3. Learned Counsel for the petitioners would dispute to this position and would refer to the part of corrigendum where it is mentioned that such candidates, who fulfill both the aforesaid conditions and could not apply earlier, may apply now upto 10.12.2008. Reading the corrigendum in entirety would leave no manner of doubt that permission was only given to those candidates to apply upto 10.12.2008, who were eligible as on the original cut off date provided in the advertisement i.e. 21.8.2006. The eligibility was extended to those persons who were aged 17 years on the date of original application and such candidates, if eligible on account of the qualification, could make their applications upto 10.12.2008. That is what this corrigendum would clearly reveal. This corrigendum does not in any manner lead to extending the date of eligibility for making an application, which remains 21.8.2006 only. The petitioners were, therefore, not eligible and had acquired the necessary qualification after the cut off date.
4. There is, thus, no merit in the writ petition and the same is accordingly dismissed.
