MANJIT SINGH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) State Council of Education, Research and Training (SCERT), Punjab issued an advertisement dated 2.8.1996 for admission to Elementary Teachers Training Course for the academic year 1996-97. The petitioner being fully eligible for the course applied for admission. The petitioner was issued Roll. No. 148302 for appearing in the Entrance Test which was to be held on 29.9.1996. Since the result was declared on 7.3.1997, the petitioner being successful in the test secured 134.50 marks.

(2.) Certain seats were reserved for different categories. Amongst others seats were reserved for the children of the teachers as well as in sports category. In column 9, the candidate was required to specify the category under which he was claiming admission to the course. This clause 9 in the application form was filled in by the petitioner in the following manner :-

(3.) The petitioner approached the respondents that he ought to have been considered under the teachers' category, which he had stated as his first preference. The petitioner requested the respondents to give him admission under that category as Mr. Karamjit Singh, respondent No. 4 who has lower in merit than the petitioner, has already been admitted to the Course. Respondent No. 4 is stated to have secured 111 marks, while the petitioner has secured 134.50 marks. As such, according to the petitioner, the person of lower merit than the petitioner had been given admission in the course under teachers' category. The respondents declined to entertain the request of the petitioner. The petitioner filed the present writ petition praying for issuance of appropriate writ, order or direction to the respondents, setting aside and quashing the admission of respondent No. 4 and for granting admission to the petitioner under teachers ward category in two years' course for Elementary Teachers' Training.