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Supreme Court of India

MRS. SEEMA KUMARI SHARMAversusSTATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH AND ANR.

Citation
1996 INSC 1206
Decided
23 October 1996
Disposal
Appeal(s) allowed

Holding

Failure to furnish the IRDP certificate with the application does not disentitle the candidate from claiming the status and the associated extra marks.

Summary

The appellant, a candidate for Junior Basic Teacher training in Himachal Pradesh, claimed extra marks under the selection criteria for candidates belonging to Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) families. The Director of Education’s notice allotted 10 marks for IRDP status, but the appellant’s claim was rejected because she did not attach the IRDP certificate with her application. The High Court upheld the rejection, holding that the lack of a certificate barred her claim. On appeal, the Supreme Court observed that the failure to furnish the certificate at the time of application does not deprive the candidate of the right to be considered for the additional marks, especially since a serial number indicating IRDP status was assigned. Consequently, the Court directed that her examination result be declared and her appointment be considered if she is selected, and set aside the Tribunal’s order. The appeals were allowed.

Issues considered

  • Whether a candidate’s failure to produce an IRDP family certificate along with the application disqualifies her from receiving the additional 10 marks allotted under the selection criteria.

Subjects

service lawteacher recruitmentIRDPreservationselection criteriaadministrative lawextra marks

Judgment

A                       MRS. SEEMA KUMARI SHARMA
                                          v.
                STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH AND ANR.

                                OCTOBER 23, 1996

B              [K. RAMASWAMY AND G.B. PATTANAIK, JJ.]

          Service Law

         Selection-Teachers---<:riteria for selection--lnteralia JO marks allotted
  for candidates belongi,ng to IRDP f amilies---<:ertificate not produced along
C with application--Hence the candidate not awarded the marks---Held, failure
  to furnish the certificate along with the application does not disentitle her to
  claim the status for award of 10 marks-Since she has already appeared for
  the examination, her result has to be declared and her case for appointment
   to be considered in accordance with mies, if she is selected.
D
          CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal Nos. 14531-32
    of 1996.

          From the Judgment and Order dated 25.4.96 of the Central Ad-
    ministrative Tribunal at Shimla in O.A.No. 619 of 1995.
E
          Mrs. Rani Chhabra for the Appellant.

          T.A. Khan and T. Sridharan for the Respondents.

          The following Order of the Court was delivered :
F         Leave granted.

          We have heard learned counsel on both sides.

        These appeals by special leave arise from the order of the Central
  Administrative Tribunal, Shimla Bench made in O.A. No. 619/95 and the
G review order. The admitted position is that the Director of Education
  issued a notice for Junior Basic Teacher's Training. The criteria for selec-
  tion was 100 marks based on the percentage of marks obtained in matric
  or equivalent examination. 20 marks for candidates belonging rural areas
  and 10 marks for candidates belonging to backward panchayat were al-
H lated. Similarly, 10 marks were alloted for candidates belonging to IRDP
                                      648
                         S.K SHARMA v. STATE                           649

families. Though the appellant claimed to belong to IRDP family, the A
authorities have not considered her claim and consequently did not award
10 marks as required under the criteria. When the appellant filed the writ
petition, the High Court dismissed the same holding that the appellant had
not produced the certificate along with the application and, therefore, she
is not entitled to the above status. When we directed the appellant to
                                                                               B
produce the record, she made the certificate a part of the record. Unfor-
tunately, it does not bear the date of issue; but we find that she has been
given serial number of the IRDP family. In view of the fact that serial
numbers are ascribed to all the candidates in the order, we are of the view
that her failure to furnish the certificate along with the application does
                                                                             c
not disentitle her to claim the status for consideration of award of 10 marks.
Pursuant to the interim direction granted by this Court, the appellant has
already appeared for the examinations conducted but her result has not
been announced.

       Therefore, the appeals are allowed; the order of the Tribunal stands
set aside. There shall be a direction to declare the result and her case for D
appointment will be considered in accordance with the rules, if she is
selected. No costs.

G.N.                                                     Appeals allowed.


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