Holding

M.Ed. is a recognised master’s degree and, for the purpose of appointment as Assistant Professor (Education), is equivalent to M.A. (Education); the High Court’s order quashing the corrigendum is set aside.

Summary

The case concerned the eligibility of candidates holding a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree for the post of Assistant Professor (Education) in Uttar Pradesh universities. The Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Service Selection Commission (UPHESSC) initially rejected an M.Ed. holder, but later issued a corrigendum accepting M.Ed. as equivalent to M.A. (Education) based on an expert committee’s opinion. Respondent No.3 challenged the corrigendum, and the Allahabad High Court quashed it, holding that M.Ed. is not equivalent to M.A. (Education). The Supreme Court examined the positions of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), both of which recognized M.Ed. as a master’s degree and, in the case of NCTE, as equivalent for the purpose of appointment. The Court held that the employer’s reliance on the expert committee and the statutory recognition of M.Ed. as a postgraduate degree is valid, set aside the High Court’s order, and upheld the corrigendum. Consequently, the challenge to the corrigendum was repelled and the appeal was allowed.

Issues considered

Whether an M.Ed. degree is equivalent to an M.A. (Education) for appointment as Assistant Professor (Education).
Whether M.Ed. qualifies as a post‑graduate degree in the relevant subject under the UGC Act and regulations.
Whether the corrigendum issued by UPHESSC permitting M.Ed. holders is valid and can be set aside by judicial review.

Legislation cited

Subjects

EducationAssistant ProfessorM.Ed.M.A. (Education)Degree equivalenceUGCNCTERecruitmentJudicial review

Judgment

[2020] 13 S.C.R. 925 925

ANAND YADAV & ORS. A
v.
STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS.
(Civil Appeal No. 2850 of 2020)
OCTOBER 12, 2020 B
[SANJAY KISHAN KAUL, ANIRUDDHA BOSE AND
KRISHNA MURARI, JJ.]
Education/Educational Institutions – Advertisement issued by
respondent no.2-Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Service Selection
C
Commission inviting applications for the post of Assistant Professors
in various subjects, including Education – Candidature of appellant
no.2 having M.Ed. Degree was rejected on the ground that he did
not fulfill the minimum criteria set out by UGC – Subsequent
advertisement issued for the same post did not specify either M.A.
(Education) or M.Ed. but specified inter alia a post-graduation with D
requisite marks in relevant subject as eligibility – Issue arose if an
M.Ed. Degree is equivalent to M.A. (Education) and even if it is
could M.Ed. be said to be a post-graduation in the relevant subject
– Expert panel constituted by respondent no.2 inter alia opined that
for the post of Assistant Professor, degree of M.Ed. as well as M.A.
E
(Education) should be accepted – Accordingly, corrigendum was
issued by respondent no.2 for the posts in question – Challenged
by respondent no.3, an applicant under both the advertisements –
Division Bench quashed the said corrigendum inter alia holding that
M.Ed. qualified person could not be appointed to the post of
Assistant Professor (Education) – Respondent no.2 decided to F
change the qualifications prescribed for the post of Assistant
Professor(Education) treating candidates with M.A. (Education) as
eligible for the said post – Candidates with M.Ed. Degree aggrieved
– Interim order passed provisionally permitting said candidates to
participate in selection process – Held: Respondent no.2-employer
G
accepted recommendation of the expert committee – UGC has also
taken a stand that insofar as the two degrees are concerned, both
are post graduate degrees – Equivalence authority, NCTE has also
opined on the basis of an expert committee, that the two can be
treated as equivalent for the post of Assistant Professor in Education
– Thus, it is neither for respondent no.3 nor for this Court to sit as H
925
926 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2020] 13 S.C.R.

A a court of appeal over the decision of the experts – Impugned
judgment set aside, challenge to the corrigendum dtd. 11.7.16
repelled.
Allowing the appeal, the Court
HELD: 1.1 This Court, at the inception, expresses its
B reservation about the manner in which the writ petition was filed
and a decision was taken in the impugned order of the High Court
without even calling upon the relevant authorities, i.e., the UGC
and the NCTE to put forth their stand. The first authority is
undisputedly the one to determine and specify the nomenclature
C of degrees, while the second is the authority of teacher education.
A decision based in the absence of concerned authorities is likely
to and has caused confusion. Affected candidates, or at least some
of them in a representative capacity, were bound to be heard and
no decision could have been taken behind the back of these
candidates. It is only before this Court that the complete contours
D of the controversy have emerged and the stand of all the relevant
parties have been sought to be examined. [Paras 26-28]
[946-D-G]
1.2 The stand put forth by the UGC/respondent No. 4 is
unequivocal in its terms that M.Ed. degree is indeed a master’s
E degree in Education in terms of the notification issued by it under
the UGC Act in terms of Section 22. In that sense, the matter is
put to rest in terms of recognition of M.Ed. as a post-graduate
degree by the competent authority. The question of equivalence,
as submitted by respondent No.4/UGC was to be left to the
F NCTE. It is in view thereof that NCTE was added as a party
(respondent No. 5) and has, once again, put forth its position
quite unequivocally. The NCTE has drawn a distinction between
the two degrees to the extent that while M.A. (Education) is a
degree in the discipline of Education, the M.Ed. degree is a
practitioner’s degree. Reference has also been made to a
G Committee constituted in pursuance of the impugned judgment,
which is an expert committee. In view of the recognition of the
M.Ed. programme of one-year duration, in order to acquire an
M.Ed. degree, one has to spend two years after the first degree
because for an M.Ed. degree, a B.Ed. degree is mandatory. It is
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ANAND YADAV & ORS. v. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS. 927

in these circumstances a conclusion was reached that, from the A
point of view of duration and curricular inputs, M.Ed. qualifies
itself as a master’s programme in Education and is even
recognised by the UGC and NCTE as such. In a sense this puts
to rest one of the controversies raised by respondent No. 3, i.e.,
initially M.Ed. was a one-year programme, and only subsequently
B
converted into a two-years programme in 2015, as this very issue
has been examined by an expert committee of the NCTE, and
the NCTE concluded in favour of the appellants. There is also a
categorical statement in the last paragraph of the counter affidavit
of the NCTE to the effect that the M.Ed. is a master’s degree
recognised by apex bodies like the UGC and NCTE for C
appointment as Assistant Professor in Education and they are
also eligible for the NET/SLET/JRF. Another important aspect
may also be noticed, i.e., the employer ultimately being the best
judge of who should be appointed. The choice was of respondent
No. 2. who sought the assistance of an expert committee in view
D
of the representation of some of the appellants. The eminence of
the expert committee is apparent from its composition. That
committee, after examination, opined in favour of the stand taken
by the appellants, and respondent No. 2 as employer decided to
concur with the same and accepted the committee’s opinion. It is
really not for the appellants or the contesting respondent to E
contend how and in what manner a degree should be obtained,
which would make them eligible for appointment by respondent
No. 2. [Paras 29-31][946-G-H; 947-A-H]
1.3 It is not this Court’s view that an employer like
respondent No. 2 can do as they please - they are guided and F
bound by the terms of the UGC Act and the regulations
thereunder, but then here, there is no doubt about the M.Ed.
degree being a post graduate degree, in view of not only what
the UGC stated before this Court, but having promulgated the
relevant Regulations as far back as 2010 as amended from time
to time. The issue of equivalence has been rightly considered by G
the NCTE and while recognising some distinct aspects of two
the degrees, it has clearly stated that for the job of Assistant
Professors (Education), both are eligible. It is not as if a person

H
928 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2020] 13 S.C.R.

A with an M.Ed. degree is eligible for all the posts which were
advertised for Science, Arts and others. Their eligibility has been
found only for the post of Assistant Professor (Education), which
is directly relatable to the subject to be taught. The fact that both
M.Ed. and M.A. (Education) degree-holders have to take a
common test for the purposes of NET is not conclusive, but it is
B
one of the factors to be considered, and once the expert body
being the NCTE, inter alia, has taken that aspect into
consideration apart from other factors to opine equivalence for
the purpose of appointment to the post of Assistant Professor in
Education, it would not be appropriate to take a contra view.
C Matters of education must be left to educationists, of course
subject to being governed by the relevant statutes and
regulations. It is not the function of this Court to sit as an expert
body over the decision of the experts, especially when the experts
are all eminent people as apparent from the names as set out.
[Paras 32-34][948-A-F]
D
Zahoor Ahmad Rather & Ors. v. Sheikh Imtiyaz Ahmad
& Ors. (2019) 2 SCC 404: [2018] 14 SCR 1082 –
relied on.
1.4 The impugned order of the High Court has almost been
E predicated entirely on the judgment in Dr. Prit Singh case, as if
there was no issue alive to be dealt with, even though the
distinction was recognised in a subsequent judgment of the Dr.
Ram Sevak Singh case. Sometimes, without looking into the real
ratio decidendi, a judgment is followed as a precedent. This is
what appears to have happened in the impugned order. There
F are even some other judgments of the High Courts, which in
turn were then sought to be relied upon to canvas a proposition
that there is a widespread acceptance of M.Ed. not being
equivalent to M.A. (Education). That they are two different
degrees is obvious; this is even recognised by the NCTE while
G emphasising the subtle distinction between the two degrees as
one being a master’s degree but not a professional degree, while
the other being a professional degree. If the two degrees are
identical, there is no question of equivalence. The issue of

H
ANAND YADAV & ORS. v. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS. 929

equivalence only arises when there are two different degrees A
and what is to be decided whether for certain purposes they can
be treated as equivalent. This is exactly what has happened as a
result of the respective expert committees set up by respondent
Nos. 2 & 5. The employer, i.e., respondent No. 2, had accepted
the recommendation of the expert committee. The UGC has also
B
taken a stand that insofar as the two degrees are concerned, both
are post graduate degrees, and the equivalence authority being
respondent No.5 has also opined on the basis of an expert
committee, that the two can be treated as equivalent for the post
of Assistant Professor in Education. Thus, it is neither for the
contesting party, i.e., respondent No.3, nor for this Court to sit C
as a court of appeal over the decision of the experts.
Respondent No.3 has in fact been selected in the 2014
selection process as per the final list released on 22.5.2018. The
impugned judgment is not sustainable and has to be set aside,
and the challenge to the corrigendum dated 11.7.2016 is repelled. D
The result having already been computed and awaiting declaration
should now be declared forthwith. [Paras 35-37][949-A-H;
950-A-D]
Dr. Prit Singh v. S.K. Mangal & Ors. 1993 Supp (1)
SCC 714: [1992] 1 Suppl. SCR 337 – distinguished. E
Praveen Kumar v. State of Himachal Pradesh & Ors.
2014 SCC OnLine HP 4307; Dr. Ram Sevak Singh v.
Dr. U.P. Singh & Ors. (1999) 2 SCC 189; Dr. M.S.
Mudhol & Anr. v. S.D. Halegkar & Ors. (1993) 3 SCC
591:[1993] 1 Suppl. SCR 115– referred to. F
Case Law Reference
[1992] 1 Suppl. SCR 337 distinguished Para 10 (i)
(1999) 2 SCC 189 referred to Para 23 (viii)
[2018] 14 SCR 1082 relied on Para 23 (x) G

H
930 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2020] 13 S.C.R.

A [1993] 1 Suppl. SCR 115 referred to Para 24 (vii)
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 2850
of 2020
From the Judgment and Order dated 14.05.2018 of the High Court
of Judicature at Allahabad in Writ-A No.16127 of 2017.
B
P.S.Patwalia, Ms. Meenakshi Arora, Sr.Advs., Amit Pawan, Manoj
K. Mishra, Umesh Dubey, Ramesh Tripathi, Anuj Chaturvedi, Bhakti
Vardhan Singh, Sanjay Kumar Tyagi, Antariksh Singh, Rajeev
Maheshwaranand Roy, P.Srinivasan, Ashwani Kumar Dubey, Jitender
Tripathy, Manish Kumar, Rameshwar Prasad Goyal, Gyan Prakash
C Srivastava, Anil Kumar Jha, Ms. Asha Gopalan Nair, Mrs. K. Sarada
Devi, Raj Kishor Choudhary, Advs. for the appearing parties.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
SANJAY KISHAN KAUL, J.
D 1. The competing interests of post-graduates having the degree
of M.A. (Education) and M.Ed. has given rise to a spate of litigation,
and the present dispute flows from this. There are judicial precedents
dealing with this issue, but in a relevant factual context. Further, there
has been, to some extent, a pendulum swing in the stand of the concerned
authorities in analysing this controversy based upon inputs from experts.
E
The Factual Matrix:
2. The origination of the dispute is Advertisement No. 46, which
was issued by respondent No. 2, the Uttar Pradesh Higher Education
Service Selection Commission (for short ‘UPHESSC’) in March, 2014
inviting applications for the post of Assistant Professors in various
F
subjects, including ‘Education’. The candidature of appellant No. 2 was
rejected on the ground that he did not fulfill the minimum criteria set out
by the University Grants Commission (for short ‘UGC’), respondent
No. 4, although he had an M.Ed. Degree. This caused the said appellant
to approach the High Court by filing Writ-A No. 61 of 2015.
G 3. The process in pursuance of the aforesaid advertisement was
nearly completed while the writ petition was still pending, and a subsequent
advertisement, i.e., Advertisement No. 47 of 2016 was issued. This was
once again for the post of Assistant Professor in various subjects, including
hundred posts in ‘Education’ in Government aided non-Government
H
ANAND YADAV & ORS. v. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS. 931
[SANJAY KISHAN KAUL, J.]

universities. The eligibility criteria for the same was specified in para 6 A
of the advertisement, the relevant portion of which reads as under:
“Minimum Educational Qualifications
6. Mandatory Educational Qualification
The prescribed minimum educational qualification for the post of B
Assistant Professor mentioned in this advertisement is described
under:
6.1 For the post of Assistant Professor for the subjects other
than Singing and Fine Arts
6.1.1 Good academic record with 55 Percent score in relevant C
subject at Post Graduate Level (Or with similar scoring in
relation to grades wherever grading system is prevalent).
6.1.2 Obtained passing marks in National Eligibility Test (NET)
or U.P. State Level Eligibility Test (SET) or State Level
Eligibility Test (SLET) as conducted by University Grants D
Commission (U.G.C.).
xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx”
The twin criteria specified as the eligibility, thus, was (a) the
requirement of a 55 per cent score in a relevant subject at the Post
Graduate Level or with a similar scoring in relation to grades wherever E
there is a grading system; and (b) passing marks in the National Eligibility
Test (for short ‘NET’), or U.P. State Level Eligibility Test (for short
‘SET’), or State Level Eligibility Test (for short ‘SLET’) as conducted
by UGC.
4. The controversy, which arose from the aforesaid was on two F
aspects: (a) would an M.Ed. Degree be treated as an equivalent degree
to M.A. (Education) for the purposes of appointment to the post of
Assistant Professor?, and (b) even if it was treated as an equivalent,
could it be said that an M.Ed. is a post-graduation in the relevant subject?
5. In order to resolve the issues, respondent No. 2 constituted a G
four-member expert panel to render its opinion on the said subject. This
panel consisted of four eminent persons: (i) Professor Bhoo Dev Singh,
Professor and Dean of the Department of Education, Banaras Hindu
University, Varanasi; (b) Professor P.C. Shukla, Department of Education,
Banaras Hindu University; (c) Professor Amita Bhajpayee, Department H
932 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2020] 13 S.C.R.

A of Education, Lucknow University; and (d) Professor P.K. Sahu,
Department of Education, Allahabad University.
6. The opinion of the four experts was unanimous and was received
with their inputs. Thus, according to Professor Bhoo Dev Singh, the test
conducted for the NET/JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) certificate is
B the same for both students with an M.A. (Education) and an M.Ed.
Degree – with the test being conducted on the same day, at the same
time, with the same syllabus, same items and the same paper. The
consequent certificate issued was only on the subject of ‘Education’ and
there was no separate mention of either of the two degrees. The
advertisement issued in 2016 did not specify either of the aforesaid two
C qualifications, but only that there should be a post-graduation with requisite
marks in the relevant subject. Professor P.C. Shukla also opined that for
the post of Assistant Professor (Teaching), Faculty of Arts, the degree
of M.Ed., as well as, the qualification of M.A. (Education) should be
accepted, more so as the students holding an M.Ed. degree have
D completed a graduation degree of B.Ed. These two opinions were
concurred with by the other two experts.
7. The aforesaid resulted in the issuance of a corrigendum of
11.7.2016 by the UPHESSC/respondent No. 2 for the posts in question.
It is this corrigendum, which was assailed before the High Court by
E respondent No. 3, who was an applicant under both the advertisements,
in Writ-A No. 16127 of 2017.
8. In order to appreciate the aforesaid, it would be appropriate to
take note of two aspects. Firstly, as far back as 1.12.1958, the UGC/
respondent No. 4 had issued a list of degrees for the purposes of Section
F 22 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (hereinafter referred
to as the ‘UGC Act’), wherein it was specified that the Master’s Degree
would, inter alia, include an M.A. and M.Ed. The said Section specifies
the right of conferring or granting degrees shall be exercised only by a
University established or incorporated in terms of sub-section (1) of
Section 22, while sub-section (3) stipulates what a degree would mean.
G The Section reads as under:
“22. Right to confer degrees. –
(1) The right of conferring or granting degrees shall be exercised
only by a University established or incorporated by or under a
Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act or an institution
H
ANAND YADAV & ORS. v. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS. 933
[SANJAY KISHAN KAUL, J.]

deemed to be a University under section 3 or an institution specially A
empowered by an Act of Parliament to confer or grant degrees.
(2) Save as provided in sub-section (1), no person or authority
shall confer, or grant, or hold himself or itself out as entitled to
confer or grant, any degree.
(3) For the purposes of this section, “degree’ means any such B
degree as may, with the previous approval of the Central
Government, be specified in this behalf by the Commission by
notification in the Official Gazette.”
9. Secondly, on 30.6.2010, the UGC/respondent No. 4 issued the
University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment C
of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and
other Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education)
Regulations, 2010 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘UGC Regulations’)
(these Regulations were, inter alia, amended in 2016 and 2018).
Regulation 4.4.1 dealt with the qualifications of Assistant Professor, inter
D
alia, in ‘Education’ and stipulated that a good academic record with at
least 55 per cent marks with a Master’s Degree in the relevant subject
from an Indian university or an equivalent degree from an accredited
foreign university, along with having cleared the NET or similar other
tests. Regulation 4.4.7 contains the qualifications prescribed by
respondent No. 5/National Council for Teacher Education (for short E
‘NCTE’) for faculty positions. The relevant portion of the Regulation
reads as under:
“4.4.7. QUALIFICATIONS PRESCRIBED FOR
FACULTY POSITIONS IN THE REGULATIONS OF
NCTE. F
A. QUALIFICATIONS FOR B. Ed. COURSE:
(ii) ASSISTANT PROFESSOR:
a. Foundation Courses
1. A Master’s Degree in Science/Humanities/Arts with 50% marks G
(or an equivalent grade in a point scale wherever grading system
is followed);
2. M.Ed. with at least 55% marks (or an equivalent grade in a
point scale wherever grading system is followed); and
H
934 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2020] 13 S.C.R.

A 3. Any other stipulation prescribed by the UGC/any such affiliating
body/State Government, from time to time for the positions of
principal and lecturers, shall be mandatory;
OR
1. M.A. in Education with 55% marks (or an equivalent grade in
B a point scale wherever grading system is followed);
2. B.Ed. with at least 55% marks (or an equivalent grade in a
point scale wherever grading system is followed); and
3. Any other stipulation prescribed by the UGC/any such affiliating
C body/State Government, from time to time for the positions of
principal and lecturers, shall be mandatory.
xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx”
10. The challenge laid by respondent No. 3 in the writ petition
was primarily predicated on grounds that:
D (i) In a previous consideration in Dr. Prit Singh v. S.K. Mangal
& Ors.,1 this Court had opined that an M.Ed. degree would not be
at par with an M.A. (Education) degree;
(ii) A similar view as aforesaid was taken by the Himachal Pradesh
High Court in Praveen Kumar v. State of Himachal Pradesh
E & Ors.2 which held that an M.Ed. degree is not a master’s degree,
but is only a training qualification;
(iii) Advertisement No. 46 of 2014 only prescribed a minimum
qualification of M.A. (Education) for the post of Assistant
Professor in Education, and an Expert Committee constituted
F pursuant to this advertisement also opined that M.A. (Education)
and M.Ed. are two different courses and cannot be equated with
each other;
(iv) Advertisement No. 47 of 2016, as initially issued, did not make
M.Ed. candidates eligible for appointment as Assistant Professors
G in Education and it was only few days before the last date for
submission of application forms that the corrigendum dated
11.7.2016 was issued; and

1
1993 Supp (1) SCC 714
2
H 2014 SCC On Line HP 4307
ANAND YADAV & ORS. v. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS. 935
[SANJAY KISHAN KAUL, J.]

(v) NCTE/respondent No. 5 in their reply dated 4.10.2016 to the A
respondent No. 3 (not on record) had stated that M.A. (Education)
is not a teacher’s education programme, while M.Ed. is so.
11. Respondent No. 2 sought to contest the writ petition and took
a stand in its counter affidavit that the requirement put forth in
advertisement No. 47 of 2016 prescribed that a candidate who possessed B
a post graduate degree in ‘Education’ could apply for the post of Assistant
Professor in Education. The background to the matter being referred to
the Expert Panel was stated to be a controversy which arose when
some candidates filed their applications with their NET/JRF certificates
wherein it was demonstrated that although they had M.Ed. degrees,
respondent No. 4 had declared that they are eligible for lecturer-ship in C
Education. The corrigendum was issued in consonance with the opinion
of the experts as well as the eligibility certificates issued by respondent
No. 4.
12. One aspect which is relevant is that in the writ proceedings
neither was the UGC nor the NCTE made a party, both of whom could D
have thrown light, being the competent parties on the subject. Moreover,
not only that the persons who would be affected were not impleaded as
parties, but also, not even anyone in a representative capacity from such
persons was impleaded. Thus, there was complete absence of assistance
to the High Court insofar as both the competent authorities and the E
affected persons were concerned.
13. The Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court, in the
impugned order dated 14.5.2018, opined after looking at the judgment in
the Dr. Prit Singh3 case, as followed in the Praveen Kumar4 case, the
issue was no more res integra. That is, while M.A. (Education) is a
F
master’s degree in the subject concerned, M.Ed. is not so, as it is only a
training qualification. The conclusion reached was that an M.Ed. qualified
person could not be appointed to the post of Assistant Professor in
Education, and consequently the corrigendum dated 11.7.2016 was
quashed.
14. Respondent No. 2 in compliance with the aforesaid decision, G
in its meeting held on 5.9.2018, decided to change the qualifications
prescribed for the post of Assistant Professor in Education so as to only
treat candidates with M.A. (Education) as eligible for the said post.
3
supra
4
supra H
936 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2020] 13 S.C.R.

A 15. The candidates who had M.Ed. qualifications were naturally
aggrieved and twelve of such candidates filed a Special Leave Petition
before this Court, along with an application for leave to file the same,
impleading the first three respondents who were parties before the High
Court. Subsequently, other appellants who were similarly situated joined
in and were impleaded as appellant Nos. 13 to 213 vide order dated
B 31.8.2018. On a consideration of the controversy, UGC was impleaded
as respondent No. 4 vide order dated 31.8.2018. Learned Senior Counsel
for the appellants, Mr. P.S. Patwalia submitted that the interest of the
appellants was only in participating in the 2016 selection process for the
post of Assistant Professor in Education, for which the last date of
C application was 14.7.2016 and for which the corrigendum had been issued
on 11.7.2016. Accordingly, this Court recorded that the pendency of the
Special Leave Petitions would not stand in the way of the competent
authority proceeding with appointment of candidates of the selection
process commenced in the year 2014, since the appellants were not
challenging the said process. Thus, a quietus was sought to be put to the
D selection process of 2014.
16. In view of the postponement of the examination, in terms of
order dated 12.10.2018, an interim order was passed provisionally
permitting the candidates with M.Ed. to participate in the selection process,
but the result was to be produced in a sealed cover to the Court, as and
E when the same was ready. It was clarified that this order was confined
only to those persons who were parties/intervenors/impleaders and were
before the Court on that date, as all of them were stated to have submitted
the applications before the cut-off date of 14.7.2016. The latter aspect
was clarified by an order dated 10.12.2018 that the cut-off date would
F be reckoned as 5.8.2016, since the same had been modified by the
competent authority itself. Any other grievances regarding rejection of
an application on account of the same not being in conformity with the
eligibility criteria were opined not to form a part of the proceedings before
this Court and would have to be assailed in separate proceedings.

G 17.In view of the affidavit filed by the UGC, it was considered
appropriate to implead NCTE/respondent No. 5 in terms of the order
dated 15.1.2020.
18. The ground level development which took place was that 6793
candidates were invited to appear for the written examination, which
took place on 12.1.2019 for the post of Assistant Professor (Education)
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ANAND YADAV & ORS. v. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS. 937
[SANJAY KISHAN KAUL, J.]

and the final answer key were published on 29.5.2019. The successful A
candidates were shortlisted for interviews, which were conducted from
18.2.2020 to 27.2.2020. The results were accordingly sought to be
submitted in a sealed cover before this Court. The results were, however,
not declared. The COVID-19 situation intervened and when the matter
came up ultimately on 31.7.2020, it was deemed appropriate to hear the
B
matter finally in view of the educational requirements and, thus, leave
was granted and arguments proceeded. The occasion to peruse the
results, thus, did not arise.
19. It would be relevant to turn to the affidavit of the UGC at this
stage, which unequivocally stated that both M.A. (Education) and M.Ed.
degrees are specified as master’s level degrees. Per Clause 8 of the C
University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards of Instruction for
the Grant of the Master’s Degree through Formal Education) Regulations,
2003, an M.A. (Education) degree may be awarded only after a student
successfully completes a minimum of two years after the first degree.
The affidavit also made a reference to Regulation 4.4.1 of the UGC D
Regulations, which required, inter alia, “Master’s Degree level in a
relevant subject.” The advertisement and corrigendum issued by
respondent No. 2 was, thus, not found to be in derogation of the UGC
Regulations, but it was opined that the UGC does not determine the
equivalence of degrees. It was also opined that M.A. (Education) is a
regular programme, while M.Ed. is a professional programme. The E
concerned authority to go into such equivalence was the NCTE/
respondent No. 5 and this is what eventually caused the impleadment of
the NCTE.
20. On notice being issued, the NCTE filed a counter-affidavit.
The difference in approach and curriculum of the two degrees is set out F
in para 13:
“13. It is submitted that the M.Ed programme is a specifically
designed as a practitioner’s degree, for students who wish to acquire
the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to work in a
professional field. As a professional degree, the M.Ed. is intended G
for students who wish, upon graduation, to assume positions of
leadership in a practical setting or positions requiring more advanced
study than that available at the bachelor’s level (e.g., as an
instructional technologist or as a district resource teacher). The
M.Ed. is not a research degree in the sense that the student is not H
938 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2020] 13 S.C.R.

A required to carry out and defend an independent research project.
However, the M.Ed. programme is nevertheless research-based
in that consideration of educationally relevant research constitutes
a major focus of study and students are normally required to take
a number of research-relevant courses (e.g., statistics courses)
whereas MA Degree is mainly intended for students interested in
B
conducting a research study or who wish, upon graduation, to
assume a research position or to proceed to doctoral level studies.
Accordingly, the M.A. programme is designed specifically as a
research degree, with students required to carry out and complete
an independent research project (Master’s Thesis). Completion
C of a master’s thesis is viewed as a pre-requisite for the pursuit of
doctoral studies in most institutions.”
21. In view of what was stated, the conclusion was set out in para
14 of the counter affidavit to the effect that the M.Ed. is a master’s
degree recognised by apex bodies like UGC and NCTE for appointment
D as an Assistant Professor in Education and persons with such a degree
are also eligible for NET/SLET/JRF, while M.A. (Education) is also a
master’s degree but is not a professional master’s degree and, therefore,
a comparison of M.A. (Education) with M.Ed. is not tenable.
22. The counter affidavit of NCTE annexed the minutes of a
meeting constituted to re-examine the issue of equivalence of NCTE
E
recognised M.Ed. programme of one-year duration with that of M.A.
(Education), which met on 27th and 28th September, 2018. The members
of the Committee were as under:
i. Prof. Mohammed Miyan, Professor of Education and former
Vice Chancellor, Maulana Azad National Urdu University,
F Hyderabad – Chair of the Committee.
ii. Dr. Renu Batra, Additional Secretary, UGC, New Delhi –
Member.
iii. Prof. Ramesh Ghanta, President, Indian Association of Teacher
Education, Ex Professor of Maulana Azad National Urdu
G
University, Hyderabad – Member.
(iv) Dr. S.K. Chauhan, Under Secretary, NCTE – Convenor.
The background of the meeting was the judgment of the High
Court, which has been impugned before us. It would be useful to
H
ANAND YADAV & ORS. v. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS. 939
[SANJAY KISHAN KAUL, J.]

reproduce the relevant portion of the minutes as they reflect directly on A
the controversy and the same reads as under:
“1. It is historically a proven fact that B.Ed. and M.Ed.
programmes are professional in their nature and primarily aim at
preparing the teachers for the school system and also teacher
educators for teacher education institutions. These courses are B
run almost for the last one century without any dispute with regard
to their nature and professionalism.
2. It is evident from the details of the curriculum framework for
programmes, M.Ed. and M.A. (Education), the subjects and
expected process of transaction is altogether different. The M.A. C
(Education) course is mostly designed only with a theoretical base
without pedagogical orientation. Therefore, M.A. (Education)
programme is primarily be considered as a disciplinary programme
in education, whereas, B.Ed. and M.Ed. are professional
programmes. Further, to clarify that M.A. (Education) is of 2-
year duration course after first degree. Whereas B.Ed. is one D
year after first degree and M.Ed., under reference is one year
programme. It means, to acquire M.Ed., degree one has to spend
2 years after first degree because for admission to M.Ed., B.Ed.
is mandatory. Therefore, from the point of view of duration and
curricular inputs, M.Ed. qualify itself as a master’s programme in E
education. M.Ed. is also recognized by UGC and NCTE, Apex
bodies as masters’ degree in teacher education and the difference
is, M.Ed. is a professional degree whereas M.A. (Education is a
degree in the Discipline of Education.
3. Candidates with M.Ed. qualifications are also eligible for F
appearing NET/JRF examinations and eligible for the post of
Assistant Professor in Education. In view of the above description,
M.Ed. is a masters’ programme.
4. A look at the curriculum followed by the universities, where
M.A. (Education) programme is offered in comparison to M.Ed.
G
programme offered by the same university, or by other universities
in the country, it is observed that the focus in M.A. (Education) is
on theoretical aspects of education leaving no place for pedagogy
or school experience and community engagement. Whereas in
the case of M.Ed., the curriculum offered in continuation of B.Ed.
H
940 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2020] 13 S.C.R.

A course, the programme focus on the foundation courses at
advanced level. Further, the course work is designed in addition
to the above, pedagogical orientation/school and community
engagement are well integrated as such, one can construe on the
basis of curricular inputs of these two courses. M.Ed. students
are having an integral orientation to education, whereas M.A.
B
(Education) students are grounded in theory alongwith allied aspects
of education without professional orientation.
5. NCTE also makes M.Ed./M.A. (Education) with B.Ed. as
eligible for the post of Assistant Professor (Education). Here, an M.A.
has to have B.Ed. to be eligible because in B.Ed. one gets orientation in
C pedagogy and school experience.
It is, therefore, concluded that M.Ed. is a masters’ degree
recognized by Apex Bodies like UGC and NCTE for appointment as an
Assistant Professor in Education and they are also eligible for NET/
SLET/JRF. On the other hand, M.A. (Education) is also a masters’ degree
D but not a professional masters’ degree and therefore, comparison of
M.A. (Education) with M.Ed. is not tenable. Therefore, wherever, B.A.
(Education) or M.A. (Education) courses are offered, to teach the courses
along with M.A. (Education), M.Ed. candidates are also eligible.”
The Case of the Appellants:
E
23. The contours of the submissions of the learned Senior Counsel
for the appellants, Mr. P.S. Patwalia, rest in the following terms:
i. While emphasising on the question required to be determined
in this case of eligibility to be appointed to the post of Assistant
F Professor (Education) on the strength of their M.Ed. degree,
it was contended that neither the appellants nor similarly
situated candidates nor statutory authorities, respondent Nos.
4 & 5, were impleaded as parties before the High Court.
ii. Respondent No. 4, on being impleaded, had clearly opined
that M.Ed. degree is indeed as master’s degree in education,
G
but that they did not determine the equivalence of degrees,
power for which vests with respondent No. 5.
iii. Respondent No. 5, on the basis of a four-member Committee
constituted to re-examine the issue of equivalence of NCTE
recognised M.Ed. programme with that of M.A. (Education)
H found that: (a) from the point of view of duration and curricular
ANAND YADAV & ORS. v. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS. 941
[SANJAY KISHAN KAUL, J.]

inputs, M.Ed. is a master’s programme in education as A
recognised by respondent Nos. 4 & 5, (b) M.Ed. is a
professional degree, whereas an M.A. (Education) is an
academic degree, i.e., it is a degree in the discipline of
education; and (c) Candidates with an M.Ed. degree are
eligible for appointment to the post of Assistant Professor
B
(Education) and can teach B.A. (Education) and M.A.
(Education) courses.
iv. The candidates possessing M.Ed. qualification are eligible
for appointment and whether M.A. (Education) and M.Ed.
are equivalent is irrelevant for this case.
C
v. The UGC/respondent No. 4 had issued a public notice stating
that equivalence of degrees is decided by the employing
organisation and in the present case, respondent No. 2 being
the employing organisation, sought the opinion of the expert
panel, and thereafter took a decision, which was impugned
in the writ petition, permitting M.Ed. degree as an eligible D
qualification for appointment. Thus, the correctness of such
a decision, based on the view of experts, ought not to be
questioned or gone into in judicial review.

Before Amendment After Amendment E
(a) A consistently good academic record with A good academic record with at least first or
first or high second class (55% marks/grade high second class (grade B in the seven point
B in the seven point scale) Master’s Degree scale) at Master’s Degree in Education and
in any subject and also a degree in education not necessarily also at Master’s Degree in the
of an Indian University or equivalent degree relevant subject (relaxable work of very high
of foreign University (relaxable if a candidate standard or University approved teacher
has to his credit research work of very high before January 27, 1976). F
standard) and
(b) An M. Phil degree or a recognised degree (b) No change.
beyond the Master’s level or published work
indicating the capacity of a candidate for
independent research work: Provided that if a
candidate possessing the qualifications as at G
(b) is not available or not considered suitable,
the college on the recommendation of the
Selection Committee may appoint a person
possessing the qualification as at (a).

5
supra H
942 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2020] 13 S.C.R.

A vi. Several institutions across different States are considering
persons with an M.Ed. degree for such appointments.
vii. The judgment in the Dr. Prit Singh 5 case is clearly
distinguishable on the facts as in that case a separate degree
in education was required. The controversy related to
B qualifications prescribed for the post of Principal of a
recognised college of education. The qualifications were as
under:
It may be noted that initially, the appointment of the appellant
therein was negated as he did not have the requisite
C qualifications, but subsequently the norms were amended and
his appointment was accepted by the Vice-Chancellor.
However, it was found that the relevant norms as applicable
at the time of selection provided for a dual requirement, i.e.,
a Master’s Degree in any subject and “also a degree in
education of an Indian University or equivalent degree of
D foreign University”. The academic record of the appellant
therein, i.e., the selected person was also not one to talk
home about. It is these factors which weighed with the High
Court and it is this fundamental issue of dual qualification
which resulted in the opinion of this Court while quashing
E the appointment.
viii. The distinguishing feature of Dr. Prit Singh6 case was noticed
by this Court in Dr. Ram Sevak Singh v. Dr. U.P. Singh &
Ors. 7 where there was no such requirement of a dual
qualification.
F ix. The candidates with either an M.Ed. or an M.A. (Education)
qualification had to take a common test for the purposes of
obtaining the NET certificate and the successful candidates
are not distinguished on the basis of their degree. Since the
passing of NET or equivalent is mandatory, all candidates
G who have passed NET are eligible for appointment.
x. The judicial review has no place to determine the ambit and
equivalence of qualification and, thus, even assuming that an
6
supra
7
(1999) 2 SCC 189
8
H (2019) 2 SCC 404
ANAND YADAV & ORS. v. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS. 943
[SANJAY KISHAN KAUL, J.]

M.Ed. degree is not equivalent to M.A. (Education) degree, A
that is something to be left to the experts and the employing
authority. In this behalf, the observations in Zahoor Ahmad
Rather & Ors. v. Sheikh Imtiyaz Ahmad & Ors.8 were
relied upon by the appellants to the following effect:
“26. We are in respectful agreement with the interpretation which B
has been placed on the judgment in Jyoti K.K. (2010) 15 SCC 596 in the
subsequent decision in Anita (2015) 2 SCC 170. The decision in Jyoti
K.K. (supra) turned on the provisions of Rule 10(a)(ii). Absent such a
rule, it would not be permissible to draw an inference that a higher
qualification necessarily pre-supposes the acquisition of another, albeit
lower, qualification. The prescription of qualifications for a post is a matter C
of recruitment policy. The State as the employer is entitled to prescribe
the qualifications as a condition of eligibility. It is no part of the role or
function of judicial review to expand upon the ambit of the prescribed
qualifications. Similarly, equivalence of a qualification is not a matter
which can be determined in exercise of the power of judicial review. D
Whether a particular qualification should or should not be regarded as
equivalent is a matter for the State, as the recruiting authority, to
determine. The decision in Jyoti K.K. (supra) turned on a specific
statutory rule under which the holding of a higher qualification could
presuppose the acquisition of a lower qualification. The absence of such
a rule in the present case makes a crucial difference to the ultimate E
outcome. In this view of the matter, the Division Bench of the High
Court was justified in reversing the judgment of the learned Single Judge
and in coming to the conclusion that the appellants did not meet the
prescribed qualifications. We find no error in the decision of the Division
Bench. F
27. While prescribing the qualifications for a post, the State, as
employer, may legitimately bear in mind several features including the
nature of the job, the aptitudes requisite for the efficient discharge of
duties, the functionality of a qualification and the content of the course
of studies which leads up to the acquisition of a qualification. The State G
is entrusted with the authority to assess the needs of its public services.
Exigencies of administration, it is trite law, fall within the domain of
administrative decision-making. The state as a public employer may well
take into account social perspectives that require the creation of job
opportunities across the societal structure. All these are essentially matters
H
944 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2020] 13 S.C.R.

A of policy. Judicial review must tread warily. That is why the decision in
Jyoti K.K. (supra) must be understood in the context of a specific
statutory rule under which the holding of a higher qualification which
presupposes the acquisition of a lower qualification was considered to
be sufficient for the post. It was in the context of specific rule that the
decision in Jyoti K.K. (supra) turned.”
B
The Case of Contesting Respondent No.3:
24. Learned Senior Counsel, Ms. Meenakshi Arora, put forth that:
i. There have been judicial pronouncements of various High Courts
to the effect that M.A. (Education) and M.Ed. are different
C courses. An earlier observation of the Allahabad High Court in
Writ-A No.65853/2015 decided on 14.3.2016 was referred to
where Section 27 of the Uttar Pradesh State Universities Act,
1973 was discussed. This required each faculty to comprise such
subjects of teaching as may be prescribed. The Section emphasised
D how each faculty is a different cadre in itself and there cannot be
an interchange of any faculty member from one faculty to another.
Also, teaching staff of ‘Education’ under the Faculty of Arts are
not entitled to impart education to students perusing B.Ed. and
M.Ed., nor can they set papers or moderate courses for the two.
ii. Respondent No. 5 took a stand before the Gujarat High Court
E
in Special Civil Application No. 2425/2016 that M.A. (Education)
and M.Ed. are two different programmes and contrary to the
advice of respondent No. 4 herein, equivalence of degrees is not
within its competence.
iii. The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government
F of India through its Under Secretary (NCTE) in an RTI reply
stated that M.A. (Education) is a post graduate degree to teach
at the college level whereas M.Ed. is only a professional degree
for teaching in schools.
iv. The advertisement No. 47 of 2016 was in respect of 100 seats
G in Education (Arts Faculty) and in these vacancies, there were no
seats for B.Ed. (Teacher Training Faculty). Further, in terms of
Section 22 of the UGC Act, the post graduate degree for B.A. is
M.A. and for B.Ed. is M.Ed., since both degrees are distinct, the
appellants are not qualified for the post in question.
H
ANAND YADAV & ORS. v. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS. 945
[SANJAY KISHAN KAUL, J.]

v. Respondent No. 4 vide a notification issued in 2014 specified A
that B.A. and M.A. come under Arts/Humanities/Social Science
categories, whereas B.Ed. and M.Ed. come under teacher training
categories.
vi. Respondent No. 4 in its affidavit stated that no students shall
be eligible for award of master’s degree unless they have B
completed two years after their first degree. M.A. is a two years
master’s programme whereas M.Ed. is a one-year teacher training
programme (as it then was). Therefore, advertisement No. 47 of
2016 was for two years master’s degree only.
vii. M.A. (Education) is an academic degree whereas M.Ed. is C
only a professional degree. The Degrees are different and belong
to two different streams of discipline in education and their apex
bodies are also different. Para 3.0 of Chapter 39 of the UGC
Recommended Syllabus of Education was relied upon in this behalf,
which reads as under:
D
“Education as an Academic Discipline” and education as
preparation of teachers and other professionals for service in the
field are two distinct streams of course in education. The M.A.
(Education) is a Master of Arts in Education and M.Ed. is Master
of Education and both are not equivalent. M.A. (Education) is
purely Academic whereas M.Ed. is professional and their apex E
bodies are different. These two courses are different and being
streams of discipline of education, they cannot be taken at par.”
The distinction has also been recognised in Dr. M.S. Mudhol &
Anr. v. S.D. Halegkar & Ors.,9 The relevant portion of which reads as
under: F
“4. The contention of the respondents that M.Ed. (sic M.A.) 2nd
Division was equivalent to M.A. (sic M.Ed.) 2nd Division is
obviously fallacious. The former is the academic qualification while
the latter a professional qualification. Secondly, the course of the
former is whole-time spread over no less that two years while the G
course of the latter is part-time and is spread over one year. In
any case, the statutory rule with regard to the essential qualifications
is very clear inasmuch as it requires both academic Masters’

9
(1993) 3 SCC 591 H
946 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2020] 13 S.C.R.

A degree and the teaching degree, the latter being not the substitute
for the former. What is further, while laying down the qualifications
with regard to the academic degree viz. the Masters’ degree, the
rule insists upon 2nd Division for such degree. It does not insist
upon a 2nd Division degree in teaching. A pass degree is sufficient
in its eyes. It would, therefore, amount to distorting the requisite
B
qualifications under the rules, to attempt to substitute the teaching
qualification for the academic qualification and exchanging the
divisions of the two…….”
viii. The expert opinion dated 15.5.2014 was obtained from
Professors of Rajarshi Tandon Open University, Allahabad and
C Allahabad University in pursuance of advertisement No. 46 of
2014. Candidates with M.Ed. degree were found not entitled to
participate in the selection process. The qualifications in the 2014
and the 2016 advertisements are the same. The expert panel
constituted for purposes of advertisement No. 47 of 2016, which
D is in question, gave their opinion without basing it on any data and
without comparing the syllabus of both the courses.
View which we Seek to Adopt:
25. We have analysed the records and considered the submissions
of the learned counsels for the parties.
E
26. We must, at the inception, express our reservation about the
manner in which the writ petition was filed and a decision was taken in
the impugned order of the High Court without even calling upon the
relevant authorities, i.e., the UGC and the NCTE to put forth their stand.
The first authority is undisputedly the one to determine and specify the
F nomenclature of degrees, while the second is the authority of teacher
education. Whatever has been the earlier position, as is sought to be
relied upon, of the Gujarat High Court, the same is no more in doubt. A
decision based in the absence of concerned authorities is likely to and
has caused confusion.
G 27. We are also of the view that affected candidates, or at least
some of them in a representative capacity, were bound to be heard and
no decision could have been taken behind the back of these candidates.

H
ANAND YADAV & ORS. v. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS. 947
[SANJAY KISHAN KAUL, J.]

28. We are, thus, of the view that it is only before this Court that A
the complete contours of the controversy have emerged and the stand
of all the relevant parties have been sought to be examined.
29. The stand put forth before us by the UGC/respondent No. 4 is
unequivocal in its terms that M.Ed. degree is indeed a master’s degree
in Education in terms of the notification issued by it under the UGC Act B
in terms of Section 22. In that sense, the matter is put to rest in terms of
recognition of M.Ed. as a post-graduate degree by the competent authority.
30. The question of equivalence, as submitted by respondent No.4/
UGC was to be left to the NCTE. It is in view thereof that NCTE was
added as a party (respondent No. 5) and has, once again, put forth its C
position quite unequivocally. The NCTE has drawn a distinction between
the two degrees to the extent that while M.A. (Education) is a degree in
the discipline of Education, the M.Ed. degree is a practitioner’s degree.
Reference has also been made to a Committee constituted in pursuance
of the impugned judgment, which is an expert committee. In view of the
recognition of the M.Ed. programme of one-year duration, in order to D
acquire an M.Ed. degree, one has to spend two years after the first
degree because for an M.Ed. degree, a B.Ed. degree is mandatory. It is
in these circumstances a conclusion was reached that, from the point of
view of duration and curricular inputs, M.Ed. qualifies itself as a master’s
programme in Education and is even recognised by the UGC and NCTE E
as such. In a sense this puts to rest one of the controversies raised by
respondent No. 3, i.e., initially M.Ed. was a one-year programme, and
only subsequently converted into a two-years programme in 2015, as
this very issue has been examined by an expert committee of the NCTE,
and the NCTE concluded in favour of the appellants. There is also a
categorical statement in the last paragraph of the counter affidavit of F
the NCTE to the effect that the M.Ed. is a master’s degree recognised
by apex bodies like the UGC and NCTE for appointment as Assistant
Professor in Education and they are also eligible for the NET/SLET/
JRF.
31. We may also notice another important aspect, i.e., the employer G
ultimately being the best judge of who should be appointed. The choice
was of respondent No. 2. who sought the assistance of an expert
committee in view of the representation of some of the appellants. The
eminence of the expert committee is apparent from its composition. That
committee, after examination, opined in favour of the stand taken by the H
948 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2020] 13 S.C.R.

A appellants, and respondent No. 2 as employer decided to concur with
the same and accepted the committee’s opinion. It is really not for the
appellants or the contesting respondent to contend how and in what
manner a degree should be obtained, which would make them eligible
for appointment by respondent No. 2.
B 32. We hasten to add that it is not our view that an employer like
respondent No. 2 can do as they please - they are guided and bound by
the terms of the UGC Act and the regulations thereunder, but then here,
there is no doubt about the M.Ed. degree being a post graduate degree,
in view of not only what the UGC stated before us, but having
promulgated the relevant Regulations as far back as 2010 as amended
C from time to time. The issue of equivalence has been rightly considered
by the NCTE and while recognising some distinct aspects of two the
degrees, it has clearly stated that for the job of Assistant Professors
(Education), both are eligible.
33. We may notice that it is not as if a person with an M.Ed.
D degree is eligible for all the posts which were advertised for Science,
Arts and others. Their eligibility has been found only for the post of
Assistant Professor (Education), which is directly relatable to the subject
to be taught. We do not think the fact that both M.Ed. and M.A. (Education)
degree-holders have to take a common test for the purposes of NET is
conclusive, but it is one of the factors to be considered, and once the
E expert body being the NCTE, inter alia, has taken that aspect into
consideration apart from other factors to opine equivalence for the purpose
of appointment to the post of Assistant Professor in Education, it would
not be appropriate to take a contra view.
34. We say so in view of the fact that matters of education must
F be left to educationists, of course subject to being governed by the relevant
statutes and regulations. It is not the function of this Court to sit as an
expert body over the decision of the experts, especially when the experts
are all eminent people as apparent from the names as set out. This
aspect has received judicial imprimatur even earlier and it is not that we
are saying something new. We may refer to the pronouncement in Zahoor
G Ahmad Rather & Ors.10 in this behalf which has dealt with the dual
aspects: (a) it is for the employer to consider what functionality of
qualification and content of course of studies would lead to the acquisition
of an eligible qualification; and (b) such matters must be left to
educationists.
10
H supra
ANAND YADAV & ORS. v. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS. 949
[SANJAY KISHAN KAUL, J.]

35. We have also gone through the judgment in the Dr. Prit Singh11 A
case. The impugned order of the High Court has almost been predicated
entirely on this judgment, as if there was no issue alive to be dealt with,
even though the distinction was recognised in a subsequent judgment of
the Dr. Ram Sevak Singh12 case. It is trite to say that often, a proposition
of law as laid down in a case is as good as the facts of the case. The Dr.
Prit Singh13 case was concerned with the dual requirements in the B
relevant advertisement, i.e., a post graduate degree in any subject and a
degree in Education. There is no such dual qualification laid here. Not
only that, the recruitment was for the post of a Principal and that too the
case was concerned with a person with qualifications of not much
eminence in terms of the marks obtained. There was an endeavour to
help out the candidate by even amending the norms and, thus, the Court C
rightly came to the conclusion that the same was not appropriate. We
are dealing with different norms for the concerned advertisement, a
requirement of having a degree in the relevant subject, in this case being
‘Education’, and for eligible persons to have the requisite marks. We,
thus, fail to understand how the judgment in the Dr. Prit Singh14 case
D
can be considered a binding precedent in the factual contours of the
present case, more so in view of the observations made in the Dr. Ram
Sevak Singh15 case, clearly setting out as to what was the actual basis
of the opinion in the Dr. Prit Singh16 case.
36. We may note that, sometimes, without looking into the real
ratio decidendi, a judgment is followed as a precedent. This is what E
appears to have happened in the impugned order. There are even some
other judgments of the High Courts, which in turn were then sought to
be relied upon to canvas a proposition that there is a widespread
acceptance of M.Ed. not being equivalent to M.A. (Education). That
they are two different degrees is obvious; this is even recognised by the
F
NCTE while emphasising the subtle distinction between the two degrees
as one being a master’s degree but not a professional degree, while the
other being a professional degree. If the two degrees are identical, there
is no question of equivalence. The issue of equivalence only arises when
there are two different degrees and what is to be decided whether for
certain purposes they can be treated as equivalent. This is exactly what G
11
supra
12
supra
13
supra
14
supra
15
supra
16
supra H
950 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2020] 13 S.C.R.

A has happened as a result of the respective expert committees set up by
respondent Nos. 2 & 5. The employer, i.e., respondent No. 2, had
accepted the recommendation of the expert committee. The UGC has
also taken a stand that insofar as the two degrees are concerned, both
are post graduate degrees, and the equivalence authority being respondent
No.5 has also opined on the basis of an expert committee, that the two
B
can be treated as equivalent for the post of Assistant Professor in
Education. Thus, it is neither for the contesting party, i.e., respondent
No.3, nor for this Court to sit as a court of appeal over the decision of
the experts. We may also note that respondent No.3 has in fact been
selected in the 2014 selection process as per the final list released on
C 22.5.2018.
37. We are, thus, of the view that the impugned judgment is not
sustainable and has to be set aside, and the challenge to the corrigendum
dated 11.7.2016 is repelled. The result having already been computed
and awaiting declaration should now be declared forthwith so that persons
D looking for employment, as per the requisite eligibility criteria, can be
employed, and so that the students have the benefit of education from
the persons so employed.
38. The appeal is accordingly allowed, leaving the parties to bear
their own costs.
E
Divya Pandey Appeal allowed.

F

G

H