The Hindu : Karnataka News : Reservation of posts for physically challenged: hearing adjourned

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Reservation of posts for physically challenged: hearing adjourned

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Monday orally asked the State Government how it could have disregarded the direction given by it on reservation of posts for the physically challenged and call for applications to the posts of primary schoolteachers.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice Ashok B. Hinchigeri made the oral observation when dealing with a public interest litigation (PIL) petition by physically challenged from several districts in the State.

The petitionershad moved the High Court against the cadre and recruitment (C and R) rules relating to appointment of teachers to primary school. The petitioners submitted that the State had called for applications to the posts of 7,895 primary school teachers and the examination for the candidates is scheduled to be held on October 28.

In their petition, they said that C and R rules, which had been held untenable by a Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court, had been made use of for calling applications to the post of primary schoolteachers. They said the State had framed the Educational Department (Department of Public Instruction-Recruitment)Rules, 2001. These rules, they said, pertained to district-wise selection and preparation of merit list of candidates selected as teachers. The department rules and the notification of August 9, 2001, relating to the recruitment of teachers was illegal. Moreover, the Common Entrance Test (CET) examination at the district level and the cut-off merit list varies from one district to another. This, he said, is unfair to the physically challenged. They urged the court to stay the notification and also the C and R rules. Justice Hinchigeri, speaking on behalf of the Bench, orally pointed out to the petitioners that an earlier Division Bench had already passed orders relating to the reservation of posts for the physically challenged. He said that the High Court had safeguarded the interest of the challenged.

When the petitioners said the examination for candidates applying to the post of primary schoolteachers is scheduled for Sunday, the Bench adjourned further hearing on the matter to Tuesday.

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