E SRIDHAR Vs. VISAKHAPATNAM STEEL PLANT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Petitioners are working as Chargemen, or Senior Chargemen, as the case may be, in the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. Over a period, they have acquired certain qualifications, such as, Associate Membership of the Indian Institute of Welding (AMIIW), Graduate qualification from Institute of Industrial Engineering, etc.

(2.) The next higher post is Management Trainee (Technical). There are two channels of appointment to that post: One is through direct recruitment, and the other is by restricting the consideration to internal candidates. A circular dated 30-04-2009 was issued by the Respondents, inviting applications to fill 45 vacancies of Management Trainees (Technical), earmarked for internal candidates. In the eligibility criteria, not only the qualifications, viz., Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in Engineering or Technology from recognized Universities or Institutes in various disciplines, ranging from Ceramic to Metallurgy; was mentioned, but also a note was added, to the effect that candidates holding the qualification of AM-IIW are not eligible. The Petitioners feel aggrieved by that stipulation. It is urged that the degree was recognized by the Government of India and it was equated to any Bachelor's Degree in Engineering. The Petitioners further contend that the Respondents themselves recognized the said degrees, in the context of sanctioning increments.

(3.) The Respondents filed a detailed counter-affidavit. According to them, the discipline of welding does not exist independently, at the level of Management Trainees (Technical) and the AMIIW can be recognized as equivalent, only in respect of posts in that discipline.