J&K and Ladakh High Court delivers ruling on Motor Vehicle Inspector recruitment case
JAMMU, Sept 16: The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has ruled that engineering degrees obtained through distance mode from deemed universities cannot be granted weightage in Government recruitment. The ruling came while dismissing petitions filed by a candidate in a long-pending Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) selection dispute.
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Division Bench Ruling
A Division Bench comprising Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul and Justice Sanjay Dhar upheld the Central Administrative Tribunal’s (CAT) June 2025 decision directing the appointment of Ramandeep Singh to the post of Motor Vehicle Inspector (Technical) in the Transport Department. The petitions were filed by Engineer Chagger Singh Billowria, who had claimed priority in the selection process.
Background of the Case
The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) had advertised four posts of MVI (Technical) in 2008. However, the recruitment was delayed due to re-advertisements, revised eligibility conditions, and disputes regarding candidate qualifications and experience.
Billowria, who figured in the merit list, was awarded extra marks for an M.Tech degree obtained through distance mode from Vinayaka Missions University. On this basis, he contested that he deserved preference over other candidates, including Singh.
Supreme Court Precedent
The Division Bench referred to the Supreme Court’s landmark 2018 judgment in Orissa Lift Irrigation Corporation Ltd. vs Rabi Shankar Patro, which invalidated engineering degrees awarded by deemed universities through distance education. The Apex Court had ruled such degrees hold no weightage unless candidates cleared a special AICTE-devised test — a condition Billowria did not meet.
“The degree certificate relied upon by the writ petitioner could not have been taken into consideration by the Board while calculating his overall merit in the selection process,” the Bench observed. After deducting the 6.69 points wrongly awarded for the invalid degree, Billowria’s merit position fell below that of Singh.
Singh’s Eligibility Upheld
The Division Bench also rejected doubts raised about Singh’s eligibility, including his experience certificate from Chowdhary Motors and driving license endorsements. The court noted that the certificate’s authenticity was never disputed and that Singh’s license had valid endorsements dating back to 2006, well before the cut-off date.
Final Decision
Holding that Singh possessed higher merit and fulfilled all eligibility norms, the Division Bench upheld the CAT order and dismissed Billowria’s petitions, bringing finality to the long-drawn selection dispute.
Source: Agencies
Labels: High Court, Recruitment, Education
Tags: #HighCourt #JKSSB #Recruitment #EngineeringDegree #Judgment
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