Court mandates reconsideration of qualifications based on updated UGC guidelines allowing simultaneous degree acquisition.
In a significant ruling, the Delhi High Court has directed the National Education Society for Tribal Students to reassess the validity of the qualifications of candidates who pursued two degrees simultaneously. The decision comes after the petitioners, Mohammad Anees and others, challenged the cancellation of their candidatures for the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) recruitment process. The court was informed that the petitioners had their applications annulled for having pursued a Master of Arts (M.A.) and a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree concurrently—an act deemed impermissible by the recruitment body.
However, the Delhi High Court, comprising Justices V. Kameswar Rao and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, highlighted the modified guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 2025. These guidelines clarify that degrees pursued simultaneously before the issuance of the 2022 guidelines should be considered valid. The court noted the absence of any UGC directive explicitly prohibiting the simultaneous pursuit of degrees, one through regular mode and the other through distance learning, prior to the 2022 guidelines.
The petitioners argued that they were successful in the EMRS recruitment process, having cleared all stages and received provisional appointment letters. They contended that the UGC had allowed simultaneous degree pursuits, citing various communications and meetings where such practices were discussed and approved. The court agreed with the petitioners that procedural fairness had been compromised by the recruitment body's actions, as the clarified UGC guidelines were not considered.
The court ordered the National Education Society for Tribal Students to re-evaluate the petitioners' qualifications in light of the revised UGC guidelines. This re-evaluation must conclude within six weeks, and a reasoned order should be issued. If the decision favors the petitioners, they will be entitled to appointments as Post Graduate Teachers (PGTs) with seniority and notional pay fixation, though without arrears.
The ruling underscores the importance of adhering to updated educational guidelines and ensuring that candidates are not unjustly disqualified due to retrospective interpretations of eligibility criteria. It also reinforces the principles of natural justice in recruitment processes, advocating for decisions that are both fair and procedurally sound.
Bottom line:-
Recruitment Rules - Candidates pursuing two degrees simultaneously, one through regular mode and the other through distance mode, prior to issuance of UGC guidelines in 2022, shall be treated as valid qualifications for recruitment purposes.
Statutory provision(s):
- University Grants Commission (UGC) Guidelines 2022 and 2025
- Article 14 of the Constitution of India
