RAMANJIT SINGH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner appeared in the joint Entrance Test conducted by the Punjab School Education Board on 16/09/1990, under a scheme prepared for admission to the Industrial Training Institutes throughout the State of Punjab, for the two-year Diploma Course. The petitioner opted for the Electrician Trade under Category-I, Set No. 3. He being a grandson of a freedom fighter, claimed admission against a seat falling in the quota reserved for children of freedom fighters.

(2.) According to the merit list of the test, the name of the petitioner was shown at number 1 in the reserve category meant for children of freedom fighters. However, due to the disturbed conditions prevailing in the State, interviews fixed for 26th and 27th of October, 1990, had to be postponed and intimation to that effect war published in the daily newspaper "Punjab Kesri" of Jalandhar, on 25/10/1990, as all the colleges, I.T.Is, and Polytechnics in District Jalandhar had been closed till 27/10/1990, under orders of the District Magistrate Jalandhar 28/10/1990, being Sunday, it came to the notice of the petitioner on 29/10/1990, that det despite postponement of the interviews as published in the newspaper, the interviews had already been conducted on the dates originally scheduled. The representation made by the petitioner for being interviewed was not accepted. Feeling aggrieved, the petitioner had invoked the writ jurisdiction of this Court for grant of admission to the Diploma Course in the trade of Electrician. At the time of motion hearing, the Motion Bench directed one seat to be kept unfilled.

(3.) In the written statement filed by the Additional Director (Industrial Training), Department of Industrial Training, Punjab, though the factual position has broadly been admitted in other paras, but quite surprisingly in reply to para No. 9 of the writ petition, there is neither any admission nor any denial of the assertions made in the writ petition to the effect, that "However, in the local newspaper of Jalandhar 'Punjab Kesri' dated 25-10-90, a news item appeared to the effect that all colleges, I.T.Is. and Polytechnics in District Jalandhar have been ordered to be closed till 27-10-1990 by the District Magistrate, Jalandhar."