- (1.) Petitioner who belongs to the general category had applied for the post of PGT (History) in a process of selection conducted by the Haryana School Teachers Selection Board. Concededly, the petitioner has secured a total of 52.62 marks. The last candidate selected against the general category for the post of PGT (History) has secured 53.81 marks.
(2.) The entire case set out on behalf of the petitioner is that in spite of possessing higher qualification i.e. M.Phil in the concerned subject (History), petitioner has not been awarded additional 02 marks as per criteria adopted by the Board. Counsel submits that action of the respondent Board is arbitrary inasmuch as the petitioner was entitled for 02 marks on account of possessing the qualification of M.Phil (History) in relation to the post of PGT (History) and if such weightage was granted, the petitioner would secure more marks than the last candidate selected. Upon notice of motion having been issued, a reply on behalf of respondent No.3 has been filed. Stand taken on behalf of the selection agency is that the petitioner had filled up and submitted form online and had indicated her higher qualification to be M.Phil (Education) and not M.Phil (History).
(3.) Accordingly, it is stated that 02 marks for higher qualification were rightfully not awarded to the petitioner. The factual position as regards the petitioner having filled up M.Phil (Education) in the application form and not M.Phil (History) is not rebutted by the counsel appearing for the petitioner. Petitioner has also not chosen to file any replication to the written statement. The criteria adopted by the Haryana School Teachers Selection Board for the post of PGTs against the advertisement in response to which the petitioner had applied has been placed on record and appended as Annexure P-10 along with the petition. As per criteria, out of a total of 100 marks, 67 were earmarked towards academic criteria and 33 for vivavoce/interview. Under the academic criteria and in clause 3, a weighage of up to 05 marks was envisaged for possessing higher qualifications. Weightage of 03 marks was provided to a candidate who had Ph.D. in the concerned subject and 02 marks to a candidate who had M.Phil in the concerned subject. Clearly, since the petitioner had applied for the post of PGT (History), it is only upon possessing and indicating in the application form that she possessed either Ph.D. in History or M.Phil in History that she could claim weightage towards higher qualifications.;