Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The High Court, principal bench of Jabalpur, has set aside the recruitment of a candidate under the Persons with Disability (PwD) quota and ordered appointment under OBC (Open) on merit in the primary teachers’ recruitment.
The hearing was conducted by a division bench presided over by Justice Vishal Dhagat.
The court even quashed the termination order and remanded the matter to the district education officers with a direction to reconsider the petitioner's case on its merits.
As per the petition, the school education department had appointed OBC candidates with lower scores, and the petitioner requested that his candidature be shifted from the OBC-PwD category to the OBC (Open) category, citing the precedent of Sangeet Kumar Jain, whose status was changed from the PwD quota to the EWS category. However, the education department issued a termination order for such candidates before the deadline for responding to the notice had even expired.
Senior advocate Rameshwar Singh Thakur said, “The High Court allowed the petition, quashed the termination order dated June 24, 2024, and remanded the matter to the district education officer with a direction to reconsider the petitioner's case on its merits.
If it is found that the petitioner could have been appointed as a primary teacher even without the benefit of reservation, a fresh order should be passed; in such an event, the termination of the petitioner's services would not be justified.”
