SONU LAL GUPTA Vs. UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The challenge in this writ petition is to an order dated January 23, 2023 passed in O.A. No.102/2023 by the Central Administrative Tribunal (hereinafter referred to as the 'Tribunal') whereby the O.A. preferred on behalf of the petitioners for considering them for appointment to the post of Principal under the Directorate of Education in terms of Advertisement No.07/2021 and for quashing of rejection notice dated November 29, 2022, was dismissed on the ground that they fall short of teaching experience by 14 and 37 days respectively.

(2.) In brief, petitioner No. 1 Sonu Lal Gupta served the Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi as TGT (Maths) from December 31, 2010 to August 26, 2019 and as PGT since August 27, 2019. Thereafter, petitioner No.1 proceeded on deputation with State Council of Educational Research Training (SCERT in short) since December 17, 2020. Similarly petitioner No. 2 (Geeta) served the Directorate of Education as PGT (English) since January 17, 2011 and proceeded on deputation with SCERT since December 11, 2020.

(3.) Petitioners applied in pursuance to Advertisement No. 07/2021 issued by Union Public Service Commissioner (UPSC) for 363 vacancies for the post of Principal in the Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi. The advertisement prescribed Educational Qualification of Master's/Bachelor's degree from a recognised University/Institute and ten years' experience of teaching as Vice Principal/PGT/TGT in a High School/Higher Secondary School/Senior Secondary School/Intermediate College and also reflected desirable qualifications. The UPSC also had discretion to relax the qualifications for reasons to be recorded in writing, in case the candidates were otherwise well qualified.