If a teacher acquired the qualification in terms of the UGC Regulations/Rules as prescribed by the government/university, the same should be the yardstick for determination of the teaching experience, the Madras High Court has observed.
Justice D Hariparanthaman, who made the observation last week while allowing a writ petition from A Chandrasekaran, also directed the Teacher Recruitment Board (TRB) to clarify to the candidates by way of notification in the newspapers that during the relevant period, the qualification mentioned at the relevant point of time could be considered for awarding marks for teaching experience.
According to petitioner, an M.Phil, PhD, working as a lecturer in Sivanthi Adithanar College, the TRB issued a notification on May 28 this year, inviting applications for assistant professors in Government Arts and Science Colleges to fill up 1,093 vacancies. Clause 16(1) of the notification stated that the teaching experience would be considered for awarding marks for the subject for which they had applied for. However, the TRB issued a corrigendum on June 19 modifying clause 16(1). It stated that the teaching experience, while doing some degree or PhD, would not be considered. Aggrieved, Chandrasekaran then filed the present petition.
Additional Government Pleader P Sanjay Gandhi submitted that the TRB had issued another corrigendum on July 9 last withdrawing the earlier June 19 corrigendum.
The judge said that the effect was that both the corrigenda regarding teaching experience had gone now.
Clause 16(1) did not give any guidelines about the determination of teaching experience, the judge said, made the observation and gave the direction to the TRB.