SAFIYA SIKANDER Vs. STATE OF J & K

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Appellants have challenged judgments dated 15.03.2019 passed by learned Writ Court, whereby writ petitions filed by the appellants bearing SWP Nos.431/2019, 433/2019 and 434/2019 have been dismissed.

(2.) The facts leading to filing of these intra-court appeals are that Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (for short the respondent Board) issued advertisement notice No.06/2017/01 to 06/2017/14 dated 28.12.2017, inviting online application from eligible candidates for selection to the District Cadre posts of General Line Teachers. These advertised posts related to Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Srinagar, Samba, Udhampur, Reasi and Rajouri districts. In the case of District Srinagar, 333 District Cadre posts of Teachers were advertised, out of which 33 posts were reserved for Scheduled Tribe category candidates. As per the advertisement notice, only the candidates belonging to a particular district were eligible to apply for the posts pertaining to the said district. The last date for submission of application forms was fixed as 21st January, 2018.

(3.) The writ petitioners responded to the aforesaid advertisement notice by offering their candidature for Scheduled Tribe Category posts pertaining to district Srinagar. After conducting OMR based written test of the candidates, the respondent Board issued provisional shortlist of the candidates vide its communication No.SSB/Secy/2018/9151-55 dated 04.08.2018 asking the shortlisted candidates to appear before the Counselling cum Document Verification Committee for counselling and document verification. The writ petitioners, accordingly, appeared before the Committee and submitted certain certificates regarding their eligibility. However, when the select list was published by the respondent Board, the writ petitioners did not find their names in the same even though they had secured higher merit than those who were selected in the merit list issued by the respondent Board. Accordingly, the writ petitioners challenged the selection of candidates as General Line Teachers under Scheduled Tribe category of District Srinagar by filing the writ petitions which are subject matter of these intra-court appeals.