HC quashes TRB advt for lecturers in govt polytechnic colleges

Madras High Court today quashed an advertisement issued by the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB), inviting applications for the post of 1,000 lecturers in government polytechnic colleges in the state, as it was not in conformity with the AICTE norms.
Justice S M Subramaniam quashed the advertisement on a petition by three aspiring candidates and directed TRB to issue new notification as per the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) norms.
The petitioners subitted that as per the norms of AICTE, a statutory body, the eligibility for the post of lecturer in government polytechnic colleges, is a bachelors degree in Engineering in the relevant branch with a first class or equivalent.

If the candidate has a master's degree in engineering, a first class or equivalent is required at bachelor's or master's level, they said.
However, TRB in its advertisement issued on June 16 has adopted a criteria, which was followed in 2012 and prescribed a first class bachelor's degree in the branch of engineering relating to the post concerned, they claimed.
For reasons best known to TRB it omitted the first class Master's degree in Engineering in the advertisement, they alleged.
If the AICTE norms are adhered to, the petitioners who are post graduates in engineering with first class said they were eligible to apply for the post.

Hence, they sought to declare the advertisement restricting the qualification as a First Class Bachelor's degree in the branch of Engineering relating to the post concerned as "illegal and contrary" to the norms of AICTE.