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2025 Supreme(Online)(KER) 13298
HIGH COURT OF KERALA
D. K. SINGH, J
ANEENA JOSEPH – Appellant
Versus
THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA – Respondent
WP(C) 13936/2024
K.M.FIROZ, ANISON M.R, P.M.SANEER, SHAJIN S.HAMEED, ELVIN PETER P.J. (SR.)
Relevant experience in e-court management is valid regardless of the specific unit of employment, provided it meets job requirements.
Headnote:(A) High Court Notification dated 27.10.2023 - Qualifications for Senior System Officer - The petitioner’s application was rejected due to alleged lack of requisite experience in e-courts project, despite holding a valid experience certificate from the High Court. (Paras 1-6)
(B) Employment Qualifications - The court emphasized that relevant experience in e-court management should be recognized regardless of the specific unit of employment, provided it aligns with the job requirements. (Paras 8-9)
Facts of the case:
The petitioner applied for the Senior System Officer position but was rejected for not having three years of experience in the e-courts project, despite having worked in related roles at the High Court.
Findings of Court:
The court found that the petitioner’s experience in the Planning and Management Unit was relevant to e-court management, thus allowing her application.
Issues: The main issue was whether the petitioner’s experience in the Planning and Management Unit qualified as relevant experience for the Senior System Officer position.
Ratio Decidendi: The court ruled that the nature of the unit where experience was gained should not negate its relevance to the job requirements, affirming the petitioner’s qualifications.
Result: Writ petition allowed.
JUDGMENT
The petitioner was an applicant for the post of Senior System Officer of the High Court of Kerala in pursuance to the notification issued by the High Court dated 27.10.2023. The educational qualification and the work experience for the said post as per the notification are as under:-
‘Government recognized Diploma in Electronics/Computer Science /Computer Hardware or Diploma with the combination of the above subjects or B.E./B.Tech (Electronics/IT/ Computer Science/Computer Hardware or combination of any of these subjects)/BCA/M.E/M.Tech (Electronics/IT/Computer Science/Computer Hardware or combination of any of these subjects)/MCA + Work experience of 3 years and above in eCourts project in Kerala as System Assistant /System Officer’
2.The job profile of the Senior System Officer is the supervision of computerisation activities of the Courts in the District Judiciary. The petitioner’s application was rejected on the ground that the petitioner did not have the requisite work experience of three years of e-courts project in Kerala as a System Assistant/System Officer/Senior System Officer.
3.The petitioner worked in the High Court from 26.04.2018 to 31.03.2021 and 07.04.2021 to 11.12.2023 as a System Assistant in the Planning and Management Unit in the High Court. The High Court itself has issued the certificate of experience to the petitioner in Ext.P3 which would demonstrate that the petitioner has gained experience while working as the System Assistant in the Planning and Management Unit of High Court in monitoring NJDC, database replication and Management, Data streaming, CIS Support, HC VM Application configuration, Efiling Application Lower Court, SMS Application, Patch Scripts and support for ongoing e-court projects.
4.The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner has experience of e-courts which is evident from the experience certificate issued to the petitioner and therefore the rejection of her application on the ground that she was not having the relevant experience certificate as per notification was totally unjustified and illegal.
5.In pursuance to the interim order passed by this court, the petitioner participated in the recruitment process. After qualifying in the written test, she faced the interview, and she stands No.1 in the rank list in the category of Economically Weaker Section (EWS).
6. The learned counsels for the High Court and counsel for the 4th respondent, however, submit that the petitioner’s appointment as System Assistant was not in e-courts project but it was in Planning and Management Unit, and therefore, the experience certificate issued to her working in the Planning and Management Unit is not the requisite experience as desired in the notification dated 27.10.2023 issued by the High Court for appointment of Senior System Officer.
7. I have considered the submission advanced
8.The question here is whether the petitioner has relevant experience in e-court management of the High Court and the District judiciary.
9.The experience certificate itself discloses the fact that the petitioner has gained experience while working as a System Assistant in the High Court for more than 3 years in different aspects of e-court management. Hence, I am of the view that it will not make any difference whether the petitioner was working with the Planning and Management Unit of the high court or e-court management unit, if the petitioner has gained the experience as per the high court itself in e-court management, her experience should be treated as valid experience as per the notification, and the rejection of her application on the ground that she was unqualified does not appear to be justified.
The petitioner has already faced the written test and interview, and she stands at Rank No.1 against the post reserved for Economically Weaker Section (EWS). Therefore, the writ petition is allowed, and the petitioner is declared qualified for the post of Senior System Officer in the High Court in pu
