IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 26^TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026 PRESENT THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.G.PANDIT AND THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE K. V. ARAVIND WRIT PETITION NO. 22371 OF 2023 (S-KSAT)

BETWEEN:

KARNATAKA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY, UDYOGA SOUDHA, PARK HOUSE, BENGALURU - 560 001.

…PETITIONER (BY SRI. REUBEN JACOB, SR. ADV. FOR SRI MUHAMMAD SHAMIL, ADV.)

AND:

Digitally signed by NANJUNDACHARI

1. SMT. GEETHA Location: HIGH D/O SHANKARA PINGALAYA, COURT OF KARNATAKA AGED ABOUT 42 YEARS, RESIDING AT BALEKUDRU VILLAGE, HENGARAKATTA POST-576 218.

UDUPI TALUK AND DISTRICT.

2. SMT. C. ROOPAVATHI D/O LATE B. CHIKKARANGAIAH, AGED ABOUT 39 YEARS, RESIDING AT D.NO. 5064, ANANDA NILAYA, KHB COLONY, NANJANGUD - 571 301, MYSORE DISTRICT.

3. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA REP. BY ITS SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF MINORITIES, M.S. BUILDING, DR. AMBEDKAR VEEDHI, BENGALURU - 560 001.

4. DIRECTORATE OF MINORITIES GOVERNMENT OF KARNATAKA, REP. BY ITS DIRECTOR, V.V. TOWERS, 20^TH AND 21^ST FLOOR, MAIN, DEVARAJ URS ROAD, VASANTH NAGAR, BENGALURU - 560 001.

5. SMT. SAIRA BANU NADAF AGE: MAJOR, R/A VLBC COLONY, DIVISION NO.7, BADAMI, BAGALKOTE - 587 201.

6. PRATHIKSHA AGE MAJOR, R/AT NO.2-730/30, SUNDAR NAGAR, SEDUM ROAD, GULBARGA, KALABURGI - 585 105.

7. UNION OF INDIA REP. BY ITS SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT (HR. EDN), SHASTRI BHAVAN, NEW DELHI - 110 001.

8. DAKSHIN BHARATH HINDU PRACHAR SABHA REP. BY ITS SECRETARY, NO.15/22C, MELONY ROAD, PARTHASARATHIPURAM, T.NAGAR, CHENNAI, TAMILNADU - 600 017.

9. KARNATAKA STATE OPEN UNIVERSITY REP. BY ITS REGISTRAR, MUKTHA GANGOTHRI, MYSORE - 570 006.

10. KENDRIYA HINDI SAMSTHAN REP. BY ITS REGISTRAR, AGRA - 282 005, U.P. STATE.

…RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. RAGHAVENDRA G GAYATHRI, ADV. FOR R1 & R2 SRI K.R. RAJENDRA, AGA FOR R3 & R4 SRI B M SANTOSH, ADV. FOR R5 & R6 SMT. ANUPAMA HEGDE, CGC FOR R7 & R10 R8 AND R9 – SERVED & UNREPRESENTED)

THIS PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO I) CALL FOR THE RECORDS PERTAINING AND CONCERNING TO APPLICATION NOS.1270 AND 1271/2021 FROM THE KARNATAKA STATE ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL, BANGALORE, PERUSE THE SAME AND TO DECLARE AND QUASH THE IMPUGNED ORDER DATED 8^TH FEBRUARY 2023 PASSED THEREIN AS ILLEGAL AND UNSUSTAINABLE IN LAW IS ANNEXUERE-A AND II) PASS ANY SUCH OTHER ORDERS AS THIS COURT MAY DEEM FIT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE, INCLUDING THE AWARD OF THE COSTS OF THIS PETITION, IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE AND EQUITY.

THIS PETITION HAVING BEEN HEARD AND RESERVED FOR ORDER ON 02.02.2026 COMING ON THIS DAY, S.G.PANDIT J., PRONOUNCED THE FOLLOWING:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.G.PANDIT AND HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE K. V. ARAVIND

CAV JUDGMENT

(PER: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.G.PANDIT)

Petitioner- Karnataka Public Service Commission (for short, “KPSC”) is before this Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, questioning the legality and correctness of order dated 08.02.2023 in Application Nos. 1270 & 1271/2021, whereunder, the Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal, Bengaluru (for short “Tribunal), allowed the applications of respondents No. 1 and 2 holding that they possess equivalent B.Ed. qualification and with a direction to consider their cases for the selection and appointment to the post of Post Graduate Hindi Language Teachers in pursuance to Notification dated 25.11.2017 based on the merit and reservation claimed, if they are otherwise eligible by following the procedure and appoint them by extending all the consequential benefits.

2. Brief facts of the case are that:

The respondent No. 1 with a qualification of M.A. in Hindi and Siksha Snathak from Dakshina Bharath Hindi Prachar Sabha, Madras and respondent No.2 with a qualification of M.A. in Hindi and Hindi Shikshan Parangath from Kendriya Hindi Samsthan, Agra, submitted application for the post of Post Graduate Hindi Language Teachers in Minority Model Residential Schools (Navodaya), under the Directorate of Minorities, Government of K