Uttarakhand High Court
WPPIL/33/2021 on 15 March, 2021
IN THE HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND
AT NAINITAL
THE HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE SRI RAGHVENDRA SINGH CHAUHAN
AND
THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE ALOK KUMAR VERMA
WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO.33 of 2021
15TH March, 2021
Between:
Ravinder Jugran. .......Petitioner
and
State of Uttarakhand and another. .......Respondents
Counsel for the : Mr. Abhijay Negi, learned
petitioner counsel.
Counsel for : Mr. N.S. Pundir, learned
respondent No. 1. Deputy Advocate General.
Counsel for : Mr. Pankaj Purohit, learned
respondent No. 2. counsel.
The Court made the following:
JUDGMENT: (per Hon'ble The Chief Justice Sri Raghvendra Singh Chauhan)
This PIL is filed for the following prayer
before this Court:-
"Issue a writ, order or direction in the
nature of mandamus directing the
State of Uttarakhand to allow students
who belatedly got the CTET results
only on January 31, 2021 and
Bachelors of Education End Semester
Results to appear, due to delay owing
to the COVID-19 pandemic to
participate in the examination of the
LT Grade- Assistant Teachers due to
be-held in April 2021."
2. The learned counsel for the petitioner
submits that the two requirements for a person
wanting to apply for the post of Assistant Teachers LT
Grade are that he must have a CTET certificate, and a
Bachelors of Education degree before he can apply for
the said post. Moreover, the Uttarakhand Subordinate
Service Selection Commission (in short "the
Commission") issued an advertisement for 1431
vacancies for the said post on 13.10.2020. The last
date for filing the applications was 04.12.2020.
However, due to onslaught of COVID-19, pandemic,
which covered the entire year of 2020 from March till
December, many of the hopeful candidates could
neither clear the CTET examination, nor could
complete their B.Ed. degree on time. For, during the
COVID-19 pandemic, the academic year was rather
disturbed. Since the CTET results have been declared
on 31.01.2021, and the Bachelors of Education
degree have been completed only recently, the
Commission should be directed to extend the last
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date for submissions of the applications by the eligible
candidates. The learned counsel has also prayed that
even the examination for the said post should be
postponed till end of May, 2021.
3. On the other hand, the learned counsel for
the Commission submits that the postponed of the
examination will be rather difficult as the Commission
has already declared its calendar for the year, 2021.
Moreover, in the month of May and June 2021, the
Central Board of Senior Education, and the
Uttarakhand Board examination are scheduled to take
place. Therefore, the Commission would find it
extremely difficult to locate sufficient space for
holding the examination for the post of Assistant
Teachers LT Grade. Hence, the possibility of
adjourning the examination is almost nil. The learned
counsel further submits that the examination is
scheduled to be held on 25.04.2021. The Commission
is willing to extend the last date of submissions of the
applications and fees till 25.03.2021. But this is the
only benefit that can be given to the petitioner, and to
others those who are eligible to apply for the said
post.
3
4. Therefore, this Court records the
undertaking given by the learned counsel for the
Commission, that the Commission will extend the last
date for submissions of the applications and also
submissions of the examination fees, if any, till
25.03.2021.
5. Since, the said undertaking has been given,
this Court directs the Commission to publicize the fact
that the eligible candidates will be entitled to submit
their applications and the fees till 25.03.2021.
6. With these directions, the present writ
petition stands disposed of.
7. Let a certified copy of this order be issued
to the learned counsel for the parties on payment of
usual charges.
_____________________________
RAGHVENDRA SINGH CHAUHAN, C.J.
___________________
ALOK KUMAR VERMA, J.
Dt:15th March, 2021
Pant/Neha
