Delhi High Court postpones Delhi Judicial Services Exam 2022; plea seeks relaxation of upper age limit for candidate

The Delhi High Court has postponed the Delhi Judicial Services exams for 2022 after a petition was filed by a practicing advocate challenging the age limit criteria to sit for the exam [Devika Sharma v. High Court of Delhi]..The matter was listed for hearing before a Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Dinesh Kumar Sharma, which issued notice and ordered,"The date for receiving the applications shall be rescheduled to a date after the next date of hearing and the date of holding of examination shall also be postponed, accordingly.".The Bench directed the Registry to place this matter before another Bench hearing a similar case. The matter has been listed for hearing on April 7..The petitioner argued that because the Delhi Judicial Services (DJS) examination could not be conducted in 2020 and 2021 due to practical and logistical difficulties, she was deprived of the opportunity to appear in the exams. She claimed that if the exam was conducted in these years, she would have been eligible to appear..She thus sought a one-time grant of relaxation of the upper age limit in her case, considering the extraordinary non-conduct of DJS exams for two years, so that her fundamental right to equality is not violated."The petitioner would therefore humbly pray before Hon'ble High Court to grant relaxation of the upper age limit in the case of the petitioner as a one time measure so that fundamental rights to equality before law and equality of opportunity in matters of public employment, as guaranteed to the petitioner under Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India are protected and a level playing field is bestowed on her with other eligible candidates," the plea stated..The petitioner appeared in person, whereas Advocates Rashmi Chopra and Vatsala Chandra Chaturvedi appeared for the High Court..[READ ORDER]