PRABHA KALYANDEO VERMA Vs. NAGPUR UNIVERSITY NAGPUR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner, a young talented lady student, assails the action of the Nagpur University in having denied her admission to the One Year Master of Library and Information Science Course for 1991-92 session. According to the Prospectus, the eligibility criteria is as follows :

(2.) WE need to record that Mrs. Shinde learned Counsel representing the University has essentially contended that there are no mala fides involved in this case and that the action was with the best of intention. That the University acted in good faith cannot at all be in question. As far as the students at Serial Nos. 4 and 5 were concerned, the University had given them the weightage of 2 and 3 marks respectively as they had the additional qualifications of M. Sc Second Class and M. Sc. First Class respectively. The petitioner was not granted any weightage as she did not possess such a Post Graduate qualification. The petitioner has contended that the rules do not make provision for any such weightage to be given in the case of any Post Graduate qualification, and consequently but for such additions, she ought to have been rightly placed at Serial No. 4, and that she had been wrongfully denied admission to the course in question. The University authorities have filed their reply and annexed a number of documents in support of their contentions.

(3.) THE University has pointed out that the Government of India, Ministry of Education has prescribed certain qualifications for appointment to the post of Assistant Librarian/college Librarian and that the minimum qualification required are a good academic record with atleast a high second class Masters degree in the subject other than Librarian Science. It is pointed out that the Government of Maharashtra has also approved of these job requirements. The Admission Committee took into account the fact that the Masters degree should undoubtedly lead to the aforesaid posts in the specialised field of Library Science. It was decided as long back as 2-10-1984 to give the following weightage for Post Graduate Degrees amongst the candidates from all categories :