Original Application challenging recruitment notice dismissed as infructuous where no further grounds for adjudication survive.

The applicant, an aspirant for the post of Assistant (Pay Level-7) in the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), challenged the recruitment notice dated 17.05.2019

The applicant alleged that the respondents sought to fill 128 vacancies through direct recruitment without determining the year-wise break-up of vacancies since 2008, which allegedly prejudiced his eligibility for specific years

The applicant further contended that the impugned notice was based on an unapproved draft report that had not been published in the Official Gazette

During the pendency of the matter, the applicant's counsel informed the Tribunal that the grievance no longer required adjudication

1. Whether the recruitment notice dated 17.05.2019 was legally sustainable in the absence of a year-wise determination of vacancies

2. Whether the Original Application (OA) survived for adjudication in light of subsequent developments

The court applied the doctrine of "infructuousness" in administrative law, which dictates that when the grievance of the petitioner has been redressed or the cause of action has ceased to exist during the pendency of the litigation, the court shall not proceed with the adjudication of the merits of the case

The Tribunal did not engage in a substantive analysis of the recruitment procedures or the validity of the 2019 notice.

Upon the matter being called for hearing, the learned counsel for the applicant explicitly submitted that the application had become infructuous and that "nothing survives for adjudication"

Based on this voluntary submission by the applicant's representative, the Tribunal determined that a judicial determination on the merits of the year-wise vacancy determination or the validity of the draft report was unnecessary

Consequently, the Original Application was closed without any order as to costs