RANCHI, India, Oct. 17 -- Jharkhand High Court issued the following order on Sept. 16:

1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and learned counsel for the respondents.

2. Petitioners, in this writ petition, has prayed for the following reliefs:-

I. For issuance of appropriate writ/writs, Order/Orders, Direction/Directions or a writ in the nature of certiorari for quashing and setting aside the advertisement given out by the Birsa Agricultural University, bearing Advertisement No. BAU (VC) 21/2022 dated 27.08.2022 through Memo no. F 10- 1552/2022/DEE/BAU/2157 (Anx-1) for Recruitment of Assistant Positions in Various KVKS, as the same is arbitrary and illegal and no selection process has been followed.

II. For issuance of appropriate writ/writs, Order/Orders, Direction/Directions in nature of mandamus for the stay from the implementation of impugned selection list and restrain the respondents from making any appointment based on the same in the light of Sachin Kumar v. Delhi Subordinate Service Selection Board, (2021) 4 SCC 631 as the irregularities are discernible and the same has been prepared in violation of the established selection process which clearly shows lack of transparency in the selection process and the failure to adhere to the due process of law.

III. For issuance of an appropriate writ/writs, Order/Orders, Direction/Directions or a writ in the nature of mandamus to direct the respondents to consider the application of petitioners for the post of Assistant since majority of the petitioners have been working with KVK for more than 10 years and whereas the petitioners possess all the requisite qualification/eligibility.

IV. For the issuance of an appropriate Writ/Writs, Order/Orders, or Direction/Directions, or a writ in the nature of Mandamus, directing the respondents to align the petitioners' pay scale with the pay scale specified in the advertisement, as both fall within the same grade but have been assigned different pay scales. Such disparity violates the principle of equal pay for equal work, thereby warranting judicial intervention to ensure fairness and equity in employment conditions.

V. For issuance an appropriate writ/order/Direction directing the respondents to produce the entire record and proceeding of the recruitment process as the error and lack of transparency are evident from the fact that the selection list has been prepared without the merit list and the interviews of the petitioners have been rejected without providing them any reasons/notice or intimation regarding the same.;

3. The case of the petitioners is that the petitioners were serving under the respondent authorities in different capacities. Thereafter, the petitioners having due qualifications and experience applied for the post of Assistant as per the advertisement No. BAU (VC) 21/2022 dated 27.08.2022 and were allotted admit cards for appearing in the examination. The eligibility criteria for the post of Assistant as per the impugned advertisement was Bachelors Degree from a recognized university with the working knowledge of Computer applications along with two years of working experience. Most of the petitioners had been working for the respondents for more than 10 years and two of the writ petitioners had more than 4 years of experience in KVKs. Petitioners contend that despite having all the necessary education qualifications and requisite work experience, the application of petitioners got rejected without giving any justification or notice.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner puts forth his arguments stating that the pay scale for the post of Assistant has been increased to Rs. 9300- 34,800/- with a Grade Pay of Rs. 4200/- as per the advertisement but the petitioner working in the said post received a salary in the range of Rs. 9000- 11000/- which violates the principle of 'Equal Pay for Equal Work'. The counsel states that the respondent are adamant to appoint other candidates while excluding the petitioners who had the qualifications required and were discharging their duties diligently for over a decade.

*Rest of the document can be viewed at: (https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/ecourtindiaHC/cases/display_pdf.php?filename=A9S7c5LDIsB6RXaCf816x%2BcD6JL0LNrWzMQ48Aa2frbjYHoTUynJLD44dJTOM2qF&caseno=WPC/998/2025&cCode=1&cino=JHHC010046262025&state_code=7&appFlag=)

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