- (1.) After considering the submissions made by the learned advocates for the parties and upon perusing the instant application as well as the report in the form of an affidavit, it appears that the grievance of the writ petitioner is in respect of not being allowed admission in Saikia Government Sponsored Primary Teachers' Training Institute for pursuing a course of Diploma of Elementary Education for the session 2012-2014, which is recognised by the National Council for Teacher Education and affiliated to the West Bengal Board of Primary Education. It appears that her candidature has not been taken into consideration purely for the reason that in the attestation column in the prescribed application form for the purpose of seeking admission in the said Training Institute, the signature of the head of the educational institute from where the applicant had passed her HS/equivalent examination, was not legible and it only an initial with a stamp; which, according to the District Inspector of Schools, Primary Education, Howrah, was not in accordance with the rules and regulations for admission of the petitioner to the diploma course. Perusing the application form, it appears that columns G. H. and I thereof are required to be "......ATTESTED/CERTIFIED BY THE HEAD OF THE INSTITUTE FROM WHERE THE APPLICANT PASSED HIS/HER HS/EQUIVALENT EXAMINATION". A photocopy of the application form annexed to the instant writ petition clearly reveals that the rubber stamp belongs to the Head of the Institute named Rajkiya Balika Inter College, Varanasi. There is a clear signature at the top of the rubber stamp with date. The stand of the District Inspector of Schools that the said signature is an "illegible initial" is incredibly incredulous. A signature is simply a unique and distinctive identification mark of a person so as to relate him/her with that mark. The question of such a mark being either illegible or legible cannot arise and is wholly inconsequential, since there cannot be a requirement that a signature has to be in legible handwriting. A signature may or may not be legible and depends solely on the author of the signature as to how he/she chooses to make his/her unique and distinctive identification mark. Writing one's name legibly is, however, distinct from a signature. A signature may be a simple scribble or a unique and distinctive pattern of handwriting, which is identifiable only by the author of such signature. Signature is defined in Concise Oxford English Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, as "a person's name written in a distinctive way as a form of identification or authorization". The other definition of the signature in the same Dictionary is "a distinctive product or characteristic by which someone or something can be identified". As discussed hereinbefore, illegibility or initials, therefore, has no rational nexus with a signature, which is nothing but a unique and distinct identification mark made by a person with which that particular person can be related and/or identified.
(2.) In such circumstances as stated above, the reason for rejection of the petitioner's application seeking admission cannot be held to be valid in the eye of law. The writ petition is, therefore, disposed of with a direction upon the respondent No. 7, being the Principal-in-charge, Saikia Government Sponsored Primary Teachers' Training Institute, to forthwith admit the writ petitioner for the course of Diploma of Elementary Education, for the session 2012-2014.;