MESCOM rejected a selected Junior Assistant candidate for lacking PUC, though he held SSLC and a three-year Diploma treated as equivalent to PUC by a State Government Circular. The Single Judge quashed the rejection; the Division Bench dismissed the writ appeal, holding the employer must accept the State-prescribed equivalence.
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NC: 2026:KHC:21276-DB WA No. 1399 of 2025
HC-KAR
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU
DATED THIS THE 17TH DAY OF APRIL, 2026
PRESENT
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH
AND
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE T.M.NADAF WRIT APPEAL NO. 1399 OF 2025 (S-RES)
BETWEEN:
Digitally signed by REKHA R Location: High Court of Karnataka
NC: 2026:KHC:21276-DB WA No. 1399 of 2025
HC-KAR
REP BY ASST GENERAL MANAGER PERSONNEL SRI VASANTHA SHETTY.
…APPELLANTS
(BY SRI. B C PRABHAKARA, ADVOCATE)
AND:
SRI J S SRIDHARA AGED ABOUT 26 YEARS S/O SATHYANARAYANA SHETTY NO 179, LAKSHMIPURA BADAVANE JAVAGAL AT AND POST ARSIKERE TALUK HASSAN DISTRICT 573121.
…RESPONDENT
(RESPONDENT-SERVED)
THIS WRIT APPEAL FILED U/S 4 OF THE KARNATAKA HIGH COURT ACT PRAYING TO SET ASIDE THE JUDGMENT DATED 25.03.2025 PASSED BY THE LEARNED SINGLE JUDGE IN WP No.644/2019 (S-RES) AND DISMISS THE WRIT PETITION FILED BY THE RESPONDENT IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE AND EQUITY.
THIS APPEAL, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, JUDGMENT WAS DELIVERED THEREIN AS UNDER:
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH and HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE T.M.NADAF
NC: 2026:KHC:21276-DB WA No. 1399 of 2025
HC-KAR
ORAL JUDGMENT
(PER: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D K SINGH)
This appeal has been instituted against the judgment and order dated 25th March 2025, passed by the Writ Court in Writ Petition No.644/2019 instituted by the respondent.
the endorsement dated 26.09.2018, issued by the Assistant General Manager (Establishment), Corporate Office of Mangaluru Electricity Supply Company Ltd., Government of Karnataka undertaking. By the impugned endorsement, the petitioner's application for the post of Junior Assistant was rejected on the ground that he did not produce certificate of pass in Pre-University Course (for short, `PUC'). The petitioner had sought for a writ in
HC-KAR
the nature of mandamus to the respondents to reconsider his case for selection to the post of Junior Assistant under 2A Rural Category in terms of the Circulars dated 27.01.2015 and 27.02.2018 issued by the State
Government.
" Minimum qualification :- should have PUC qualification or passed equivalent Examination or Diploma in Accountancy and Auditing or in Accountancy and costing awarded by the State Council of Vocational Education, Government of Karnataka."
minimum qualification for the post of Junior Assistant, it is evident that all qualifications prescribed are disjunctive and therefore, any of the qualification possessed by the candidate would entitle him for applying to the post of
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Junior Assistant. If a person does not have PUC qualification, but, he has passed equivalent examination with that of PUC, he would also be entitled to make application for the post of Junior Assistant.
HC-KAR
Circular dated 27.01.2015 has held that, when the appellant has not prescribed an equivalent qualification for PUC, one has to act upon the State Government Circulars which provides for equivalent qualification for PUC.
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it has prescribed separate equivalent qualification to PUC.
When the appellant has not prescribed any equivalent qualification to PUC, one has to consider the relevant Circular issued by the State Government prescribing equivalent qualification to PUC.
impugned judgment and order passed by the learned Single Judge. The writ appeal stands dismissed .
In view of the dismissal of the appeal, pending I.As.,
if any, does not survive for consideration and the same are disposed of.
Sd/(D K SINGH) JUDGE
Sd/(T.M.NADAF) JUDGE
BK
List No.: 1 Sl No.: 15
1 issue framed by the court
Whether SSLC plus a three-year Diploma in Automobile Engineering qualifies as equivalent to PUC for the post of Junior Assistant under the MESCOM Recruitment Regulations, 2002.
The Managing Director - Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd. (MESCOM)
The General Manager (A and HRD) MESCOM
The Asst. General Manager (Establishment), MESCOM
Sri J S Sridhara
D K SINGH
T.M.NADAF
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
