Supreme Court gives one-time age relaxation for DJSE and DHJSE

New Delhi, March 14

The Supreme Court on Monday relaxed the upper-age limit of 32 years for Delhi Judicial Service Examination (DJSE) and 45 years for Delhi Higher Judicial Service Examination (DHJSE) 2022 for age-barred candidates who were eligible in 2020 and 2021 when examinations could not be held due to COVID-19 pandemic.

While upholding the minimum age criterion of 35 years for DHJSE, a Bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud noted that the age relaxation was a one-time measure this year in view of the extraordinary circumstances caused by the pandemic.

It extended the last date for submitting applications for the DJSE and DHJSE to April 3 and March 26 and the examination will be held on April 24 and April 3, respectively.

“We direct that no impediment shall be caused in conduct of the examinations and no order of stay shall be ordered by any other court in variance of this order,” the top court said.

The order came on two separate appeals filed by the Delhi High Court on its administrative side against two separate orders passed in judicial side postponing this year’s DJSE and DHJSE.

A Division Bench of the Delhi High Court had on March 4 deferred by four weeks the DHJS Examination, which was to be held on March 20, while hearing a batch of pleas challenging the minimum age criteria of 35 years fixed for applying for the post of district judge.

Acting on a plea challenging fixation of an upper age limit of 32 for the candidates, another Division Bench of the high court had on March 8 directed that the last date for receiving applications for DJSE, 2022 be rescheduled and the examinations be postponed.

The top court had on Friday termed the Delhi High Court’s order to defer by four weeks the DHJS Examination-2022 scheduled on March 20 as “prima facie inappropriate”.