Candidates with Bachelors in Elementary Education eligible for JBT posts: CAT  

The Chandigarh bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal has directed the Chandigarh Administration to consider candidates having the Bachelors in Elementary Education degrees eligible for recruitment to the posts of JBTs.

The bench said the applicants could not be denied the opportunity merely on the grounds that the degree was not mentioned in the advertisement.

Seven candidates approached the bench, challenging the notice of the education department dated July 26, whereby the applicants have been declared ineligible by the Document Checking Committee for recruitment to the posts.

They also prayed before the bench to issue directions to the respondents, the Education Department, Chandigarh, to consider their candidature for appointment.

They said the Education Department advertised the posts for JBTs. One of the conditions for the posts was mentioned as Diploma in Elementary Education of not less than two years’ duration recognised by NCTE.

They said they applied for the posts and were allotted registration numbers. They said they had the requisite qualification of Bachelors in Elementary Education and the provisional merit list of the candidates was declared.

The candidates in the merit list including the applicants were called for scrutiny of their documents.

After scrutiny of documents on July 3, the applicants were declared ineligible, as in the remarks column the document checking committee, said, “Two years’ D El Ed not done.”

They also sent representations to the respondents for considering their eligibility for the JBT posts, since their requisite qualification was higher than that required in the advertisement.

The respondents said the applicants had the qualification of Bachelor of Elementary Education, which is not as per the qualification required for the posts advertised. They do not have a two-year diploma in elementary education from an NCTE-recognised institute, they said.