Punjab, Haryana seek clarity on HC Registrar Gen’s request to waive dept exam for civil judges.

Source – indianexpress.com

The office of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Registrar General has requested Punjab and Haryana to waive the condition of holding departmental examination for civil judges by amending the Punjab Civil Service (Judicial Branch) Rules. The two states have sought reasons for the same and clarity on the proposal.

The departmental examination, as per the Punjab Civil Service (Judicial Branch) Rules, comprises examinations in five subjects — criminal law, civil law, revenue law, accounts and constitutional law of India.

While a functionary of the Punjab government said it wants to know the reasons behind seeking such an exemption, the Haryana government is more preplexed over the move as it was in December last year that the office had made a request for inclusion of the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2015, Juvenile Justice Model Rules, 2016 and POCSO Act, 2002, in the departmental examination of civil judges in Haryana.

Citing the two letters — one of December 5 and another of August 7 where the office of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Registrar General wanted to get the provision wiped from the Punjab Civil Service (Judicial Branch) Rules, 1951, as applicable to state of Haryana – Haryana had last month written to the Registrar General’s office saying, “Therefore, you are requested to clear the position on these two different issues as to whether POCSO Act and JJ Rules may be included into Criminal Law subject in the departmental examination curriculum for HCS (JB) or to waive the entire departmental exam of HCS (JB) from service rules, so that, necessary action could be taken…”

A Haryana government functionary said a response was still awaited. A senior Punjab government functionary said an observation had been made on the proposed move that the request may be looked into but Punjab wants to know why the exemption from departmental examination was being demanded.

The administrative committee of High Court, it was learnt, in a meeting on July 17 “resolved that the condition of holding the departmental examination of the civil judges in Punjab and Haryana be waived and the respective state governments be requested to make necessary amendments in the existing Civil Service Rules.”

The “full court” in a meeting on July 26 accepted the report of the administrative committee of HC and the HC Registrar General was asked to take up the matter with the two states for necessary amendments.