Arun Kumar vs The State of H.P.

Justice Kurian Joseph, C.J.—Petitioners in these writ petitions are aggrieved since they have not been permitted by the H.P. Subordinate Services Selection Board to participate in the selection process for appointment to the post of PGT (Commerce). The Board has denied the opportunity on the ground that the petitioners do not possess the requisite qualification of passing B.Ed. According to the petitioners, the B.Ed. in commerce stream was introduced in Himachal Pradesh on regular basis, permitting admission to over aged candidates only from 2012-13.

It is seen from the notification itself that for the candidates who had M.Com degree, B.Ed. was not to be insisted for a period of three years from the date the Himachal Pradesh University started B.Ed. in Commerce Stream.

As already stated above, the Himachal Pradesh University had started B.Ed. in Commerce stream, without any restriction as to age, only from academic year 2012-13. Both the petitioners, it is submitted, had otherwise become over-aged to take admission to B.Ed. in the regular stream prior to 2012-13, when the University started B.Ed. in Commerce stream from 2007-2008 onwards. In peculiar facts and circumstances of these cases, there will be a direction to the H.P. Subordinate Services Selection Board to interview the petitioners also and subject to their merit, take further action to forward their names to the State. Needless to say that in case the candidates, who have been selected by the Board, a rider will be added to the effect that they will have to pass the B.Ed. within three years. With the aforesaid observations, the writ petitions are disposed of, so also the pending application(s), if any.

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