Allahabad High Court: In a petition filed praying for consideration of petitioner’s candidature for the post of Anganbadi Karyakatri by allowing her to submit her Post Graduation degree which she could not submit due to technical flaw while filling up online application form, Ajit Kumar,J. held that the provision for preparing the merit list based on Post Graduation qualification was directory in nature. Hence, the respondents were directed to prepare the merit list strictly in accordance with the minimum qualification prescribed, allotting marks based on the High School and Intermediate qualifications as per the advertisement issued, and not based on Graduation or Post Graduation, as no preferential qualification was prescribed under the relevant Government Order.
The Court took note of the Government Order dated 21-03-2023, wherein Clause 7 of the Order provided that the merit list for the posts of Anganwadi Karyakatri and Anganwadi Sahayika was to be prepared based on the minimum qualification or equivalent qualification, as well as the maximum academic qualification of Post Graduation.
The Court viewed that since the Government Order prescribed Intermediate as the minimum qualification for the post of Anganwadi Karyakatri, with an age limit of 18 to 35 years, and there was no provision in the Order for preferential qualifications such as Graduation or Post Graduation, nor any provision for awarding additional marks for such qualifications, the Graduation and Post Graduation qualifications could not be considered as preferential qualifications.
Therefore, the Court stated that the respondents could neither compel the petitioner to submit her Post Graduation academic qualification certificate, nor reject her candidature on the ground of her failure to submit the Post Graduation degree. Additionally, they could not place her lower in the merit list compared to a candidate with a Post Graduate degree, provided the petitioner scored better based on her performance in the Anganwadi Sahayika and/or High School and Intermediate marks.
[Chandani Pandey v. State of UP, WRIT – A No. 3371 of 2025, decided on 19-03-2025]
Advocates who appeared in this case:
Counsel for Petitioner:– Akhilesh Kumar
Counsel for Respondent:– C.S.C.
