Deepak Gupta, J

1. The only question which arises in this petition is whether the petitioners who are working as Junior Engineers in the respondent Board have attained the necessary qualification to be promoted as Junior Engineers.

2. There is no dispute with regard to the fact that the Diploma Holder Junior Engineers who qualify the graduation course have a quota and can be promoted as Assistant Engineers. The case of the petitioners has been rejected mainly on the ground that the Universities from which they have obtained degrees are teaching through distant education mode and these Universities are not recognized. The Universities are I.A.S.E. and Vinayaka Mission University. It is also not disputed that all the petitioners have attained their qualifications on or before the academic session 2007-2008.

3. Sh.Lovneesh Kanwar has drawn my attention to the various letters written by the University Grants Commission (UGC), All Indian Council for Technical Education( AICTE) and the Distant Education Council (DEC). It would also be pertinent to mention that all these three bodies have also formed a joint Committee. As far as the State Government is concerned the stand is that