S.N. Pathak, J. - (1.) Heard the parties.
(2.) Petitioners have prayed for a direction upon the respondents to allow them to appear in the counselling for appointment to the post of Assistant Teachers under non-para category in view of the facts that their names find place in the merit list but no consideration has been given by the respondents.
(3.) Shorn of unnecessary details, the short fact of the case is that the petitioners were working as para-teachers within the State of Jharkhand. Pursuant to Advertisement floated for appointment to the post of Inter Trained Teachers for Class-I to V, the petitioners having the requisite qualifications, applied for the same under non-para category. In the advertisement itself it has been mentioned that 50% vacancies were reserved for para teachers whereas, rest of the vacancies were earmarked for non-para category candidates and as such, there was no restriction to para-teacher to apply under non-para category. It is the case of the petitioners that they successfully competed in the recruitment process and were finally called for counselling just for the purpose of verification of their testimonials and educational certificates. But on that fateful day, they were informed that their candidatures have been cancelled on the ground that they have applied and qualified under the non-para category suppressing the fact that they belong to parateacher category.;