VIKRAM SINGH Vs. SUBORDINATE SERVICE SELECTION

JUDGEMENT

(1.) By instituting the instant petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, petitioner who belongs to Scheduled Caste category (Mazhabi and Balmiki), an aspirant for the post of Clerk/Clerk-cum-Data Entry Operator, has sought quashing of select/merit list dtd. 10/10/2016 (Annexure P-6) on the ground that petitioner is a qualified Graduate Degree holder from Sikkim Manipal University, which is duly recognized by University Grant Commission (for short 'UGC') and has been wrongly considered ineligible having acquired his Graduate Degree through Distant Education Mode, thus possessing invalid degree. He claims right of consideration based on his secured merit for appointment with effect from dates candidate junior in merit in his category has been appointed.

(2.) Respondent No. 1-Subordinate Service Selection Board, Punjab (for short 'Board') vide Advertisement No. 4 of 2015 dtd. 27/11/2015 (Annexure P-1), invited online applications for recruitment of 556 posts of Clerks and 58 posts of Clerk-cum-Data Entry Operator. The posts of Clerks were subsequently increased to 2715 through different corrigendum. The minimum qualification prescribed for selection and appointment to the post of Clerks/Clerks-cum-Data Entry Operators was as below:

(3.) The petitioner applied online for the post of Clerk/Clerk-cum- Data Entry Operator in his S.C. (M&B) category. The Board accepted his application and petitioner appeared for Punjabi and English typing test conducted from 23/5/2016 to 20/6/2016. The petitioner qualified the test and Board vide public notice dtd. 28/6/2016 published a provisional merit list. The Board vide notice dtd. 22/7/2016 declared counselling schedule which was conducted from 26/7/2016 to 19/8/2016. The petitioner appeared in the counselling in terms of category wise schedule, however, Board in final merit list declared on 10/10/2016 did not include name of the petitioner on the ground that he has acquired degree through Distance Education Mode with Examination Centre outside the Territorial Jurisdiction of the University.