2005 Supreme(Raj) 1748
High Court Of Rajasthan
Judgename : Shiv Kumar Sharma
The Managing Committee S.S.Jain Subodh Siksha SamitI - Appellant
Versus
Rajendra Kumar Rao - Respondent
S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 2813 of 2002
Decided On : 08/01/2005
Mr. Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Mr. Manish Bhandari, for the Petitioner Shiksha Samiti.
Mr. Praveen Balwada, for the Respondent Employee.
The court established that the institution must adhere to the mandates of Section 18 of the 1989 Act in terminating an employee's services and emphasized the importance of fulfilling the advertised qualifications.
Headnote:
Termination - Service - Rajasthan Non Government Educational Institution Act, 1989 - Section 18
Fact of the Case:
The employee was appointed as a Teacher (Dance) without any condition or reference of acquiring additional qualification. The institution terminated the employee's services citing lack of required qualification. The Tribunal set aside the termination orders, which were challenged by the institution.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the institution did not follow the mandates of Section 18 of the 1989 Act in terminating the employee's services. It held that the employee possessed the required qualification as per the advertisement, and the termination was not in accordance with the law.
Issues: Termination of employee's services, Application of Section 18 of the 1989 Act
Ratio Decidendi: The court emphasized that the institution should have followed the mandates of Section 18 of the 1989 Act in terminating the employee's services and that the employee possessed the required qualification as per the advertisement.
Final Decision: The writ petitions were dismissed without any order as to costs.
Shiv Kumar Sharma, J.-Since, both the writ petitions relate to the termination of service of the respondent employee (for Short employee). I proceed to decide these petitions by a common order.
2. The petitioner Institution (for short Institution) published an advertisement on June 5, 1996 for recruitment on the post of Assistant Teacher for Dance. The required qualification as shown therein was Visharad in Music. The employee being Sangeet Visharad from Bhatkahnde Sangeet Vidyapeeth, Lucknow applied for the said post and was appointed on post of Teacher (Dance) under order of the Institution dated June 1, 1996. The appointment order did not bear any condition or reference of any undertaking by the employee that he had to acquire any additional qualification. When the employee was not paid due salary and order as regards his confirmation was not passed the employee got served legal notice on September 24, 2001. The Institution in its reply dated October 3, 2001 given out that since the employee did not acquire requisite qualification, there was no option left with the institution except to terminate the services of the employee with effect from November 6, 2001. The employee assailed the said order by filing an application under Section 21 of Rajasthan Non Government Educational Institution Act, 1989 (for Short 1989 Act) before the Rajasthan Non Government Educational Institutions Tribunal, Jaipur (for short the Tribunal). The Tribunal vide order dated April 5, 2002 set aside the aforesaid order dated October 23, 2001 of the Institution and directed the Institution that the employee shall be treated as confirmed with effect from the date when probation period expired with all consequential benefits. The said order of the Tribunal has been impugned by the Institution in S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 2813/2001.
3. During pendency of the said writ petition the Institution passed another order dated October 18, 2003 which reads as under:-“No. SS/Estt/F-5/2003-2004 Date 110.2003
OFFICE ORDER Shri Rajendra Kumar Rao was engaged as Music Teacher though he was not in possession of the required qualifications for the said engagement coupled with the fact that Subodh Public School is an unaided institution being managed by Minorities in view of the recent notification issued by the Government of Rajasthan on 19.09.2003 and thus the provision of Section 18 of the Non Government Educational Institutions Act of 1989 no more remain applicable to the Institution in view of the DB Judgement of the Honble High Court seat at Jodhpur as well as the Judgment of the Constitutional Bench of the Honble Supreme Court. Therefore, the services of Shri Rajendra Kumar Rao, Music Teacher are hereby terminated with immediate effect as his continuance in the school is not found to be in the interest of the Institution and a decision has already been taken by the Management Committee to pass this order. Shri Rao is given a cheque for a sum of Rs. 22,578/-(Rupees Twenty Two thousand Five hundred Seventy Eight only) as notice pay though the same is also not required, plus upto date salary.” The employee thereafter filed appeal under Section 18 of the 1989 Act before the Tribunal. The
Tribunal vide order dated March 3, 2005 allowed the appeal of the employee and set aside the termination order dated October 18, 2003. The order of the Tribunal has been impugned by the Institution in S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 3409/2005.
4. It is contended on behalf of the Institution that since the Institution is a minority institution and not getting any grant in aid the provisions of 1989 Act are not applicable to it. According to the Institution the services of the employee were rightly terminated as he was not having required qualification. In support of the submissions learned Counsel placed reliance on T.M.A. Pai Foundation vs. State of Karnataka, 2002 (8) SCC 481 and Educational Society of Sophia High School vs. Raj. Non Government Educational Institutions Tribu