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2001 Supreme(Cal) 717

High Court Of Calcutta
Amitava Lala
NAZRUL ISLAM - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF WEST BENGAL - Respondent
W. P.  324  Of  2000
Decided On : 11/29/2001

Advocates Appeared:
JAKIR HOSSAIN, PRATAP KUMAR SEN, S.R.ISLAM

The court held that the Board's refusal of recognition was discriminatory and unreasonable, and that the Board was required to give recognition to the Madrasah upon fulfillment of certain administrative requirements.

Headnote:

RECOGNITION OF JUNIOR HIGH MADRASAH - REFUSAL OF RECOGNITION - DISCRIMINATION - GUIDELINES FOR RECOGNITION - JUDICIAL INTERVENTION - REGULARISATION OF TEACHING AND NON-TEACHING STAFF.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner, a Junior High Madrasah, sought recognition from the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. The Board refused recognition, citing various reasons, including the lack of a recommendation from the State Government.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the Board's refusal of recognition was discriminatory and unreasonable. It held that the Board was required to give recognition to the Madrasah upon fulfillment of certain administrative requirements, and that the requirements could not be used as a pretext for refusing recognition.

Issues: 1. Whether the Board's refusal of recognition was discriminatory and unreasonable? 2. Whether the Board was required to give recognition to the Madrasah upon fulfillment of certain administrative requirements? 3. Whether the requirements could be used as a pretext for refusing recognition?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that the Board's refusal of recognition was discriminatory and unreasonable because it was based on the lack of a recommendation from the State Government, which was not a statutory requirement for recognition. 2. The court held that the Board was required to give recognition to the Madrasah upon fulfillment of certain administrative requirements, such as the availability of adequate teaching and non-teaching staff, infrastructure, and financial resources. 3. The court held that the requirements could not be used as a pretext for refusing recognition, and that the Board was required to make a bona fide effort to help the Madrasah fulfill the requirements.

Final Decision: The court directed the Board to give recognition to the Madrasah within three months from the date of communication of the order. It also directed the District Inspector of Schools to evaluate and come to an appropriate conclusion regarding the regularisation of the service of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the Madrasah within one month from the date of approach being made.

AMITAVA LALA, J.

( 1 ) THE Court : This writ petition is made basically for the purposes of recognition of a Junior High Madrasah and regularisation of services of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the Institution. The whole contention of the writ petitioner is that the order impugned as passed by the appropriate authority of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education in refusing the grant of recognition is perverse which is apparent from the face of it. Such order impugned is apparent from the face of it. Such order impugned is under memorandum No. 1725 dated 4th November, 1999.

( 2 ) THIS is not the first writ. The writ jurisdiction was invoked but this is the third time when the writ jurisdiction was invoked in the similarly placed situation. In the last order the earlier writ petition was disposed of. A Bench of this Court squarely held that refusal of recognition is outcome of discrimination giving details of comparable charts. But inspite of the same recognition of the institution has been refused. According to the petitioner, one cannot sit over the order of the Court as an appellate authority unless and until a formal appeal is preferred. When neither any appeal preferred nor any review application made the order has so to bind one. Thus, the action on the part of the authority concerned is contrary of law. Without going into such controversy I have to say that imparting education is in the hands of the people who have made the institution but giving recognition to such institution is in the hands of State machinery made for the same. This is basic parameter of Unnikrishnan's case reported in 1993 (1) SCC 645. Unnikrishnan's case was considerably followed by a Division Bench of this Court in 1998 (1) CLJ 141 (Nabadwip Chandra Das and Ors. v. West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and Ors. ). But according to me, in the Unnikrishnan's case the Supreme Court never held that right of imparting education is also a right of recognition of such institution by which education is imparted. However, recognition of Institution sometimes interfered with by the Court of law when it has been delayed or refused which ultimately affect imparting education. In such case, recognition will directed to be made or will directed to consider specially for fulfilment of any deficiency whatsoever. Law of giving recognition cannot be said to be a law of refusal of giving recognition but giving recognition with due care. I find in most of the cases recognitions are being refused only for monetary consideration of the State or for many insignificant causes which could have regularised as a matter of course giving a clear guidelines that unless and until such conditions are not fulfilled it will be possible for such authority to give recognition. But in most of the cases the authorities are following straight jacket formula which is not the intention of the legislature.

( 3 ) IN the instant case, it has categorically held by a Court of Law that the discrimination in granting recognition has been caused. Therefore, there is hardly any scope for the Board in not giving recognition excepting completions certain formalities for giving recognition. A legitimate expectation will be a futile attempt even after making attempt to give shape of the same by the Supreme Court and High Courts when the authorities fail to take a bona fide stand or proceed indiscriminately. It is an accepted scenario that inspite of passing repeated orders by the Court of law State machineries are taking an indifferent stand. If the same has been caused it will definitely be a good stand of passing mandatory order as against such state machinery. As per guideline giving recognition to the Madrasah, Government of West Bengal, School Education Department, Secondary Branch under memorandum No. 24-SE (S)/35-34/97 dated 12th January, 1998 requirements are as follows: (1) Site and accommodation; (2) Teaching and non-teaching staff; (3) Furniture; (4) Sanitary arrangement;









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