NARINDER KAUR Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB AND OTHERS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Whether the petitioner is qualified to be appointed as Hindi Mistress under the Government of Punjab is the only point which calls for determination in this petition.

(2.) The petitioner is a Scheduled Caste of Punjab being Ramdasia by caste. She applied for recruitment as Hindi Mistress in response to the advertisement issued on 28.12.1994 by the Departmental Selection Committee (Teaching), Punjab. On the recommendations of the Committee, the Director Public Instructions (Schools), Punjab appointed her as Hindi Mistress vide order dated 11.12.19%. However, when the petitioner contacted the District Education Officer(s), Ropar, the latter refused to post her by saying that the Chairman, Departmental Selection Committee (Teaching), Punjab has cancelled her appointment. The petitioner has challenged the action of the respondents not to allow her to join duty/to cancel her appointment on the ground of violation of principles of natural justice, arbitrariness and infringement of her fundamental right to equality.

(3.) The respondents have contested the petitioner's claim by asserting that she was not qualified for appointment. According to them the petitioner had not passed Matriculation with Punjabi till the last date fixed for the receipt of the applications and as such, she could not have been considered for selection irrespective of the fact that later on she passed the additional subject of Punjabi.