HC orders fresh interviews for posts of school music teachers

The Gujarat High Court today ordered the Jamnagar district primary education officer (DPEO) to conduct fresh interviews of ten candidates for the post of school music teachers, observing that the way their interviews were previously held was a "mockery" of their qualifications.
Justice J B Pardiwala, in an order, questioned the way the interview of ten petitioners, who were among 25 candidates interviewed for the post of primary school music teachers in November 2000, was conducted and observed that the DPEO and other education officers conducting the interview of these music degree holders was a "mockery of their qualifications."
The court asked the DPEO to conduct fresh interview of the petitioners by a panel of experts as per government resolution dated 1998 passed by the Education Department.

"Who interviewed them to test their proficiency in the subject? The DPEO interviewed them as if he himself is an expert 'sangeet visharad'. These are the state of affairs of the state government. This is how the interviews are conducted and this is how mockery of someone's qualifications is made," the court said.
"The other members of the selection committee were the Chairman of the District Education Committee, District Education Officer and the Principal of the PTC College. I wonder if any of those has ever touched a musical instrument so that they could have taken the test or interview of these petitioners who are the qualified sangeet visharads," he said.

After conducting the interview fo 25 candidates, the DPEO had nullified the selection as they had found that one of the candidates had submitted fake marksheet and certificate. Thereafter, the authorities had issued fresh advertisement, after which ten of the 25 candidates moved a petition in the the high court.