2007 Supreme(Kar) 693
2008 (1) KLO 193
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA
D. V. Shylendra Kumar, J.
Writ Petition No. 18479 of 2004
Canara High School Association - Petitioner
Vs.
State of Karnataka - Respondents
Decided on 12-10-2007
Petitioner: Sri. Madhusudhan Rao for Sri. K. Raghavendra Rao, Adv.
Respondents: Ms. Sheela Anish, AGA.
Headnote:CONSTITUTION OF INDIA - Article 30: [ D.V. Shylendra Kumar, J] Karnataka Scheduled Castes / Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Act (43/ 1994), Section 5 - National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act (2/2005), Section 4 -Management of Minority institution -Right under Article 30cannotbe regulated in absence of any express regulatory provision in enactments.
KARNATAKA EDUCATION ACT, 1993 - Section 131 & Karnataka Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointment or Posts in the Services under the State) Act (43/1994), Section 5 & Constitution of India, Article 30: [D.V.Shylendra Kumar, J] Approval of appointment of Lecturers in Pre University Educational College recognized to be linguistic minority - Held, All educational institutions owned, managed and administered by linguistic minority are entitled to same treatment. State Government cannot make distinction of one educational institution in respect of which it has granted declaration and status and another institution administered by very linguistic minority Institution.
D.V. Shylendra Kumar, J.
Writ petition by a society, registered under the, Societies Registration Act, 1860, claiming the right of, minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of its choice in accordance with the provisions of Article 30 of the Constitution of India, who has questioned the action of the educational authorities of the state of Karnataka in disapproving the appointment of lecturers in the subjects of statistics and economics, appointing petitioners 2 and 3 for the posted by the first petitioner management in terms of the order dated 30-5-2000 [Annexure-G] passed by the director of pre-university education and order dated 23-3-2000 [Annexure-H) also passed by the very authority, apprising the petitioners that the appointments not approved for the reason that the first petitioner-society was required to follow the policy of reservation and that in terms of the provisions of the Karnataka Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe & Other Backward Classes (Reservation in Appointments etc.) Act, 1990 (for short, the 1990 Act] and the government order No ED 227 SEP 94 dated 21-4-1995, posts were required to be filled up by appointing persons belonging to scheduled caste/tribe communities as backlog vacancies.
2. It is not only these orders but also the common appellate order dated 19-12-2003 Annexure-L to the writ petition) passed by the Government of Karnataka under Section 131 of the Karnataka Education Act (for short, the Act), dismissing both the appeals of the management for the reasons that the petitioners contention that the first petitioner-society is not *state for the purpose of Article 16(4) of the Constitution of India, being a minority owned institution, is not tenable, as the institution is receiving aid; that its claim to be treated as Konkani Linguistic minority institution cannot be acceded to for the reason that Canara Pre-university where the college, appointments were made has not been recognized as a Linguistic minority college by the government and therefore it cannot claim any exemption in the matter of reservation in appointment and further that the stand of the management that insisting on reservation to fill up posts of lecturers in statistics and economies in the college amounts to 100% reservation and therefore the petitioners would not come within the roster system and the policy of reservation is not tenable as the provisions for reservation, if should have been worked in respect of the cadre of lecturers in common to all subjects, the theory of 100% reservation will not hold water.
3. It is aggrieved by these orders, the petitioners have approached this court seeking for quashing these orders and for a direction to the respondents to approve the appointments so that the petitioners 2 and 3 can draw aided salary. In this petition, the petitioners have sought for the following prayers:
a) declare the petitioner No.1 is a linguistic minority institution entitled to protection under Article 30 of the Constitution of India and that all educational institutions established and managed by petitioner, No.1 are entitled to the same treatment;
b) issue a writ of mandamus directing the first respondent to issue necessary certificate/ endorsement to the effect that the Canara pre-university college run by the petitioner No 1 is a linguistic minority institution. .
4. Writ petition having been admitted, the respondents having been put on notice, respondents 1 to 4 have entered appearance through Government Advocate and have filed statement of objections. The fourth respondent, though served, is not represented.
5. The main contentions urged in the writ petition in support of the prayers are that: It is an undisputed fact that the first petitioner-society is a linguistic minority institution; that this fact has also been recognized by the respondents 1 to 3; that as many as six other educational institutions, viz., Canara High School, Mangalore, Canara High School, Mangalore-3, Canara