Odisha HC rejects petition on reservation for players in assistant professor recruitment
Cuttack: Orissa High Court has dismissed a writ challenging the order of a single judge regarding reservation of 1 per cent of posts for sportspersons during the appointment of Assistant Professors in various subjects in Group A of the Odisha Education Service (College Branch) of Government Degree Colleges. The petition has been rejected. State.
OPSC had invited applications for 606 posts of Assistant Professor in various subjects on October 8, 2021 and the last date for submission of online applications was December 3, 2021.
Dr. Archana Kanungo, a national level Taekwondo player recognized by the Sports Directorate, had then applied for the post of Assistant Professor in Sociology under the sports quota.
Although Kanungo was allowed to participate in the interview held on December 12, 2022, when his name was not in the list of eligible candidates published by the OPSC, he filed a petition alleging that the principles of horizontal reservation for sportspersons were violated. Was not followed. Recruitment body.
Kanungo argued that as per the advertisement, one post which is 1 per cent of the 12 vacancies in Sociology subject was to be earmarked for sportspersons but the same was not done by the OPSC. However, the single judge dismissed the petition on November 24, 2023, following which Kanungo filed a writ appeal against it.
Meanwhile, agreeing to the single judge order, a division bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice SK Sahu on Thursday said, “There were 12 posts in the unreserved category of assistant professors in sociology. All 12 UR posts have already been filled. Without causing distress to anyone who has been appointed to the above 12 unreserved posts, the relief sought by the appellant could not have been granted to him.
OPSC decided that 1 percent of the total posts advertised were reserved for sportspersons. According to this, a total of six players can be appointed based on the discipline for which each of them applied. Only three people had applied under the sportsperson category, one each in Commerce, Oriya and Sociology subjects.
The petitioner obtained less marks in the subject of Sociology in UR category than the marks obtained by the last person standing.
OPSC argued that the petitioner (Dr. Archana Kanungo) could have been considered under the sportsperson category only if she had qualified in the merit list prepared for UR candidates in the subject of Sociology.
