IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CWJC No.10852 of 2009 ARCHANA w/o Sunil Singh, r/o New Chitragupta Nagar, P.O.- Kankarbagh Lohianagar, P.S. – Patrakar Nagar, District – Patna ………………. Petitioner Versus 1. THE STATE OF BIHAR 2. Principal Secretary Cabinet, Coordination Department, State of Bihar (Old Secretariat), Patna 3. Secretary Law, Old Secretariat, Patna 4. Chairman, Bihar Public Service Commission through its Secretary 50, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Bailey Road, Patna ……………… Respondents With CWJC. No.9344 of 2009 --- 1. Abhay Kumar s/o Bechan Mehta, r/o Ward no.12, Chhatapur, P.S. Chhatapur, District Supaul 2. Ramesh Kumar s/o Chhatradhari Mandal, r/o village Manganj West, P.S. Jadia, Supaul …….. Petitioners Vs. 1. The State of Bihar through Chief Secretary, Bihar 2. Principal Secretary, Department of Personnel & Administrative Reforms, Bihar, Patna 3. The High Court of Judicature at Patna through Registrar Genera, High Court, Patna 4. The Bihar Public Service Commission through Chairman, Bailey Road, Patna 5. Chairman, BPSC, Bailey Road, Patna 6. Secretary, BPSC, Bailey Road, Patna …. Respondents ----------- For the petitioners: Mr. Ashutosh Jha, Mr. Narendra Pandey, Advocates (in CWJC. No.10852/09) Mr. Bindhyachal Singh Mr. Nafirsuzzoha, Advocates (in CWJC. No.9344/09) For the State : Mr. Ray Shivaji Nath, Sr. Advocate AAG - IV Mr. Ray Saurabh Nath, Advocate AC to SC - IV For the High Court: Mr. Amish Kumar, Advocate 2 For the BPSC: Mr. Vikash Kumar, JC to Mr. P.K.Shahi, Sr. Advocate 2 17/12/2009 Heard learned counsel for the parties. In both the writ petitions, the petitioners have prayed for issuing a direction upon the respondents to relax the age criteria so that the petitioners may also appear in the selection process advertised for appointment to the post of Civil Judge (Junior Division) in the State of Bihar. In the case of Archana vs. The State of Bihar & Ors., first writ petition, a plea has been advanced that the petitioner being a lady the respondents should change their policy and give age relaxation and in the other writ petition relaxation of age has been claimed on similar ground but for the reason that the petitioners belong to the Backward Class. Learned counsel for the State has placed reliance upon a recent Division Bench judgment of this court in the case of Pramod Kumar Singh vs. State of Bihar and others, reported in 2009 (1) PLJR 530. That judgment considered similar prayers and dismissed the writ petition after holding that age qualification is 3 prescribed by Rule 6 of the Bihar Civil Services (Judicial Branch) Recruitment Rules, 1955 and in view of statutory provisions in those rules, it was not possible for the court to change the age criteria by exercising power of judicial review. We find that the writ petitions are covered by the principle laid down by the Division Bench in the aforesaid case of Pramod Kumar Singh. Accordingly, the writ petitions are dismissed. Neyaz/ (Shiva Kirti Singh, CJ.) (S. K. Sharma, J.)