Madras High Court to the rescue of maths teacher

Chennai: Coming to the rescue of a teacher, who was appointed 10 years ago, and was served with a notice by the authorities calling upon her to show cause as to why she should not be terminated from service on the ground that she has passed SSLC from the State of Karnataka only securing 33 marks in Science subject, the Madras high court has set aside the orders and directed the authorities to permit her to work and release her salary including arrears immediately.

Justice T. Raja allowed the petition filed by A. Meenakshi, who was appointed as B.T. Assistant 10 years ago after passing the Teachers Recruitment Board Examination held by the state government, and set aside the orders passed by the Salem District Educational Officer and the Joint Director of School Education (Personnel).

 According to petitioner, her father was initially employed in Syndicate Bank, Karnataka state and she had her schooling in Karnataka state. Followed by the SSLC, she did her Pre-University course in Karnataka.

Thereafter, her father was transferred to Syndicate Bank, Dharmapuri Branch. Hence she underwent her UG and PG in Dharmapuri district.

At the time of admission to the B.Sc (Maths) course, an equivalent certificate certifying that the PUC in Karnataka state was equivalent to the Higher Secondary course in Tamil Nadu state was issued by the University of Madras. Thereafter, she did her M.Phil (Maths) and registered her name in the Employment Exchange. After completing her B.Ed, she registered the same as well in the Employment Exchange.

Subsequently, she wrote the TRB Examination and secured 76 out of 150 marks. After certificate verification, she was appointed as B.T. Assistant (Junior Graduate Assistant) in Maths at Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Salem and she joined duty on March 1, 2006 in the said post. Nearly after 10 years of service, she was served with the present notice dated December 6, 2016. Aggrieved, she filed the present petition, she added.

The judge said the University of Madras has found the petitioner eligible and at the time of admission to the B.Sc course during 1997, an equivalence certificate certifying that the PUC in Karnataka state was equivalent to the Higher Secondary Course in Tamil Nadu state was issued by the University of Madras.
On the basis of the Equivalence Certificate issued by the University of Madras, the petitioner got admission to the said course and her admission was also approved by the University.

In addition thereto, the petitioner has acquired B.Sc (Maths) course in the year 1999 and again she did her B.Ed degree course in Periyar University, Salem in 2004 and successfully completed the same in 2005 and thereafter she did her M.Sc (Maths) in Annamalai University through two years Correspondence Course and completed the same in December 2008. Later on, she did her M.Phil (Maths) in Vinayaka Mission University, Salem through Distance Education and completed the same in 2009.

“Therefore, it only unjustified to question her eligibility, that too, after 10 years from the date of her appointment to the post of Junior Graduate Teacher. Therefore, I find no merit in the impugned orders. Hence, the impugned orders are liable to be set aside", the judge added and quashed the orders.