Inclusion of educational boards for recruitment eligibility is not a service matter triable by Administrative Tribunals.

Eleven applicants approached the Tribunal seeking a direction to include "Uttarakhand Open School" in the online application portal for the post of Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) pursuant to an advertisement dated 07.02.2025

The applicants, who passed their 10th standard from the said school, were unable to submit forms because the school was missing from the "Select Board" dropdown menu

They initially filed a writ petition before the Allahabad High Court, which directed them to the Tribunal

The respondents raised preliminary objections regarding territorial jurisdiction, noting that several applicants and respondents resided outside the Bench’s limits, and further argued that the recognition of an educational board is not a "service matter"

1. Whether the Allahabad Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal has the territorial jurisdiction to entertain the application under Rule 6 of the C.A.T. (Procedure) Rules, 1987

2. Whether the inclusion or recognition of an educational board for eligibility purposes constitutes a "service matter" within the meaning of the Administrative Tribunals Act

Rule 6 of the Central Administrative Tribunal (Procedure) Rules, 1987, which mandates that applications be filed where the applicant is posted or where the cause of action arises, wholly or in part.

The principle of forum conveniens and the definition of "cause of action" as the entire bundle of facts giving rise to a legal right, referencing the Calcutta High Court’s decision in Apratim Mukherjee v. State of West Bengal regarding online recruitment processes.

The Tribunal found that the applicants failed to establish territorial jurisdiction as they were neither currently posted nor residing within the Allahabad Bench’s jurisdiction.

While acknowledging the Apratim Mukherjee precedent regarding digital applications, the Tribunal distinguished the present case because the applicants had not successfully submitted their applications at all; thus, no part of the cause of action could be deemed to have arisen within the Bench's jurisdiction.

The Tribunal determined that the core grievance—the inclusion of a specific educational board as a recognized body—does not fall under the definition of a "service matter" that the Tribunal is empowered to adjudicate.

The Original Application was dismissed for want of jurisdiction. No order as to costs was made, and all pending miscellaneous applications were disposed of accordingly.