CITS-qualified candidates at par with, or even at a disadvantage vis-à-vis, non-CITS candidates. Further, the amended rules introduced an additional requirement of prior teaching experience, ranging from one to three years depending on the qualification, which, according to the petitioners, is not only contrary to the directives issued by the Government of India but also arbitrary and exclusionary in nature. The grievance of the petitioners is further compounded by the issuance of recruitment advertisements in the year 2023 by the respondent authorities, inviting applications for a substantial number of posts of Training Officers across various ITIs in the State. The said advertisements, issued on the basis of the amended Rules, 2014, prescribed mandatory teaching experience and relegated the CITS qualification to a mere weightage criterion. As a consequence, several petitioners, despite possessing CITS certification and, in many cases, practical field experience or engagement as guest instructors, were rendered either ineligible or placed at a comparative disadvantage in the selection process. The petitioners submit that the impugned action of the State Government is in direct conflict with the standards and guidelines laid down by the Directorate General of Training, which is the apex authority responsible for regulating vocational training and prescribing norms for instructor qualifications. It is further contended that the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT), established by the Government of India, has historically
