The court mandated that candidates with higher marks must be allowed to participate in the counseling process, reinforcing principles of fairness and compliance with previous judgments.

ORDER :

(Rajesh Shankar, J.) :

The present writ petition has been filed for issuance of direction upon the respondents to consider the candidature of the petitioners and allow them to participate in the counselling process to be conducted for the post of Assistant Teachers in view of the fact that the candidates, who have secured lesser marks than the petitioners, were called for counselling as well as to dispose of the present writ petition in terms with the judgment dated 16.02.2022 passed by this Court in W.P.(S) No. 2378 of 2019 [Paras Nath Mandal Vs. The State of Jharkhand & Ors.] and other analogous cases.

2. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that the petitioners, who are the para-teachers, had applied in 13 districts under para category. The petitioner Nos. 1 to 19 had applied for the post of Intermediate Trained Teacher as well as Graduate Trained Teacher (Class I to V & Class VI to VIII) and the petitioner Nos. 20 to 23 had applied only for the post of Graduate Trained Teacher (Class VI to VIII). However, they were not called for counselling from any of the districts, though several candidates having lesser marks than the petitioners have been called for counselling.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioners further submits that similar issue came up for consideration before this Court in W.P.(S) No. 2378 of 2019 [Paras Nath Mandal Vs. The State of Jharkhand & Ors.] and other analogous cases, which were allowed vide order dated 16.02.2022 with following directions:

“18. As a cumulative effect of the aforesaid observations, rules, guidelines, legal propositions and judicial pronouncements, I hereby direct the respondents to initiate process of counseling for the present petitioners by way of last opportunity, since they have obtained more marks than the last selected candidates in the merit list. The petitioners shall approach the Deputy Commissioners of the concerned Districts, as early as possible, preferably, within a period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order and thereafter, the Deputy Commissioner shall initiate the process of counseling after giving proper notice to the petitioners by way of Press Communique, advertising the notice in the local newspaper having the wide circulation in the concerned Districts and also by putting the notice on the Notice Board of the Office of concerned District Superintendent of Education and thereafter, the entire process of counseling be completed within a period of further four weeks subject to fulfilling the eligibility criteria and also if the present petitioners have secured more marks than the last selected candidates.

Let the entire process be completed within a period of four months from the date of receipt/ production of a copy of this order.

19. Let it be made clear that no further counselling shall be held for any reasons whatsoever as the advertisement for appointment of these teachers are of 2015 and the aforesaid directions have been issued in peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, which shall be not taken as precedent.”

4. The State of Jharkhand, however, preferred L.P.A No. 203 of 2022 [The State of Jharkhand & Ors. Vs. Paras Nath Mandal] and other analogous cases challenging the order dated 16.02.2022 passed in W.P.(S) No. 2378 of 2019 and other analogous cases, which were dismissed by learned Division Bench vide order dated 15.09.2023 with following direction to the State of Jharkhand:

“57. This Court, on entirety of facts and circumstances, is of the view that the order passed by learned Single Judge needs no interference by this Court and the direction so passed by learned Single Judge needs no interference by this Court and is required to be complied with at an earliest as the vacancies is of the year 2015 and it must be put to logical end without snatching right of candidates, if they are otherwise eligible. Therefore, the appellants-State are hereby directed to:

I. Initiate the process of counseling forthwith for the