Mohammad Rafiq, J. - (1.) This writ petition has been filed by petitioners, namely, Rizwana Gouri and Alina Sheikh through their fathers as they are minor. Petitioners are Muslims by caste and as such belonged to minority community. Petitioners are respectively passed out students of 12th and 10th standards. They are aggrieved by action of respondents in not awarding them Indira Priyadarshani Prise declared by the Government of Rajasthan in which cash prise is awarded to each meritorious girl candidate, belong to SC/ST/OBC/ Disabled/Minority communities, securing highest marks in their class in respective District. For 8th standard cash prise of Rs.25,000/-, for 10th standard cash prise of Rs.40,000/- and for 12th standard cash prise of Rs.50,000/- was prescribed. This award was instituted with a view to promoting education amongst females.
(2.) Contention of learned counsel for petitioners is that despite petitioner no.1 securing 85.23% marks in senior secondary examination 2010 and petitioner no.2 securing 79.33% marks in secondary examination, 2010, in the category of students belong to minority, the respondent no.3 - District Education Officer (Secondary), Bundi, did not select them for the said award and less meritorious students were selected for the prizes by order dated 10.11.2010. For 12th standard, in place of petitioner no.1, one student Ruksar Bano, who secured only 82% marks, and for 10th standard, in place of petitioner no.2, one student Nagma Pathan, who obtained only 74.67% marks, were selected for the prizes. Petitioners have placed on record photo copies of their mark-sheets as well as mark-sheets of those two students selected for cash prize. The premise on which the respondents denied the award of prise to petitioners is that they have in their examination form declared themselves as OBC and not minority.
(3.) Learned counsel has produced for perusal of the court photo copies of certificates issued by Tehsildar, Bundi, dated 24.12.2002 and 30.12.2002 declaring that petitioners belonged to minority community, which are taken on record. Learned counsel has invited attention of the court to the letter of the Secretary, Board of Secondary Education which is on record as Annexure R-1/3, in which the Board has conveyed to District Education Officer-I, Bundi, that despite their category in the examination form as OBC, if petitioners are belonged to minority community, he should take steps to verify their caste so as to determine the eligibility for prise in the minority category.;