- (1.) The Department of Secondary School Education, State of Punjab, issued an advertisement on 29.8.2007 (Annexure P-1) inviting applications from the eligible candidates for recruitment to the post of Educational Services Providers in various subjects including English, Punjabi and Hindi. The last date mentioned in the advertisement for submission of application forms complete in all respects was 17.9.2007. The professional qualifications prescribed in the advertisement for the post of English Master/Mistress, Punjabi Master/Mistress and Hindi Master/Mistress were in the following terms:- 1. English Master/Mistress:- (i) Graduate from a recognized University with English as an elective subject in all the three years of graduation. (ii) with teaching of English in B.Ed. (2) Social Studies Master/Mistress xxx Not relevant xxx (3) Punjabi Master/Mistress:- (i) Graduate from a recognized University with Punjabi as an elective subject in all the three years of graduation. (ii) with teaching of Punjabi in B.Ed. (3) Hindi Master/Mistress:- (i) Graduate from a recognized University with Hindi as an elective subject in all the three years of graduation. (ii) with teaching of Hindi in B.Ed.
(2.) A perusal of the same would reveal that the qualifications prescribed for English, Punjabi and Hindi Master/Mistress were identical i.e. Graduate from a recognized University with English, Punjabi or Hindi as an elective subject in all the three years. That apart the requirement was of teaching the subject concerned in B.Ed. It so transpires that a corrigendum was, thereafter, issued on 31.8.2007, wherein for the post of English Master/Mistress, the requisite qualification was changed and it was prescribed in the following terms:- (A) Graduate from a recognized University and English has studied as a teaching subject in all the three years. (B) English should have studied as a teaching subject in B.Ed. Or M.A. English with B.Ed.
(3.) As such in terms of corrigendum issued, the candidates for the post of English Master/Mistress possessing qualification of M.A. English along with B.Ed. were made eligible. The petitioner, who holds the qualification of graduation with Punjabi as a teaching subject in all the three years as also a Post-Graduate Degree in Punjabi with B.Ed., has filed the present petition with grievance that the criteria in so far as prescribed experience and qualifications for the post of Educational Services Providers has to be identical in respect of subjects English, Punjabi and Hindi.;