service Law – appointment – Educational qualification – Posts of Arts and Crafts teachers in State of Haryana – Diploma through distance education cannot be equated with Diploma given through regular class room studies – It is not for the Court to equalize diplomas/degrees – Judicial review can neither expand the ambit of the prescribed qualifications nor decide the equivalence of the prescribed qualifications – Art and Craft courses equation was issued by the Kurukshetra University – Eligibility criteria for appointment to the post of Arts and Crafts teacher as per the advertisement dated 20.07.2006 is a “two-year Diploma in Art and Craft examination conducted by the Haryana Industrial Training Department or an equivalent qualification recognized by the Haryana Education Department.” – It was made clear by the Industrial Training and Vocational Educational Department, Haryana, that diploma in Art and Craft Course by the Kurukshetra University is conducted through distance education and that this course cannot be equated with two-year diploma in Art and Craft Course awarded by the Haryana Industrial Training Department – Recognition of the said Course by the State of Haryana, as held by the High Court, is entirely different from its equivalence – When the experts in the Education Department have held the diploma in Art and Craft by the Kurukshetra University is not equivalent to the two-year diploma in Art and Craft awarded by the Haryana Industrial Training Department, we are of the view that the High Court was not justified in equalizing them – State, as an employer, is entitled to prescribe qualifications as a condition of eligibility, after taking into consideration the nature of the job, the aptitude required for efficient discharge of duties, functionality of various qualifications, course content leading up to the acquisition of various qualifications, etc. – judicial review can neither expand the ambit of the prescribed qualifications nor decide the equivalence of the prescribed qualifications with any other given qualification Equivalence of qualification is a matter for the State, as recruiting authority, to determine – High Court has erred in holding that the diploma/degree in Art and Craft given by the Kurukshetra University is equivalent to two-year Diploma in Art and Craft examination conducted by the Haryana Industrial Training Department or diploma in Art and Craft conducted by Director, Industrial Training and Vocational Education, Haryana. Zahoor Ahmad Rather & Ors. v. Sheikh Imtiyaz Ahmad & Ors., (2019) 2 SCC 404, relied.
2022 SCeJ 0557, 2022 PLRonline 6895, (2022-2)206 PLR 645 (SC) (SN)
