Today's Paper » NATIONAL

Three allowed to continue as Block Resource Teacher Educator

K.T.Sangameswaran

They obtained B.Ed under Distance Education Programme of SASTRA University

The Madras High Court on Friday imposed total costs of Rs.30,000 and directed authorities to permit threepersons to continue with their employment as Block Resource Teacher Educator (BRTE) in different blocks in theState.

Justice Vinod K. Sharma passed the common order on petitions by T. Lakshmi and two others, who had applied forthe post and wrote the examination conducted by the Teachers Recruitment Board.

On being successful, they were provisionally selected and appointed to the post by an order of October last year.After they reported for duty, they were orally informed by the Block Officer concerned that they would not be allowedto join duty as their B.Ed degree was not recognised by the Tamil Nadu government. They had obtained B.Ed underthe Distance Education Programme of SASTRA University, Thanjavur.

Deemed varsity

The petitioners' case was that the SASTRA University was not only recognised as a deemed university under theUGC Act, but also recognised and approved by the NCTE, Distance Education Council of India and IGNOU.

They also placed reliance on a Madras High Court judgment last year, by which the court directed that persons whohad acquired B.Ed degree from SASTRA University should be given benefit.

The State opposed the writ petitions stating that the petitioners' B.Ed degree had not been recognised by the TamilNadu government.

Mr. Justice Sharma said the writ petitions deserved to be allowed. Once it was not disputed that the petitioners hadbeen appointed as BRTE and the appointment till date had not been cancelled or set aside, there was absolutely nojustification to stop them from performing duty.

Even otherwise, the High Court had earlier given detailed reasons and held that the B.Ed degree awarded bySASTRA University stood duly recognised by the State of Tamil Nadu.

Allowing the petitions, the court directed the authorities to permit the petitioners to join duty forthwith and to allowthem to function in appointed posts. The petitioners were also entitled to costs of Rs.10,000 each.

By another common order allowing a batch of writ petitions, Mr. Justice Sharma directed the authorities, whoincluded the Education Secretary, to enter the B.Ed qualification of the petitioners, who had obtained the degreethrough the distance education mode of SASTRA University in the service register and grant them all theconsequential benefits by treating the petitioners to be having a duly recognised degree of B.Ed. The needful shouldbe done within three months.

The Judge passed the order on petitions by M. Manohar and others.

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