Holding

The circular of 31‑08‑2000 did not repeal or replace G.O. Ms No.208; it only directed the use of the earlier selection‑committee procedure, so the later G.O. remains operative.

Summary

The appellant, Besant Theosophical College, a private aided institution, sought to fill a vacant Librarian post. The qualifications for the post were originally prescribed by G.O. Ms No.12 (1992) and later superseded by G.O. Ms No.208 (1999). The State Government issued a circular on 31 August 2000 directing colleges to follow the selection‑committee procedure of the earlier G.O. while awaiting further orders. The issue before the Supreme Court was whether this circular nullified the effect of G.O. Ms No.208 and reinstated the earlier G.O. The Court held that the circular merely prescribed the procedure for constituting the selection committee and did not repeal or replace G.O. Ms No.208, which continued to operate in the field. Consequently, the High Court’s decision was affirmed and the appeals were dismissed.

Issues considered

Whether the circular dated 31‑08‑2000 revoked the effect of G.O. Ms No.208 (1999) and reinstated G.O. Ms No.12 (1992) for the recruitment of a Librarian in a private aided college.

Subjects

private aided collegegovernment ordercircularselection committeequalification criteriaappointmentservice lawinterpretation of G.O.reservation

Judgment

.... ,. BESANT THEOSOPHICAL COLLEGE A.
v.
N. ANANTHAIAH AND ORS ..

APRIL 4, 2007

[S.B. SINHA AND MARKANDEY KA TJU, JJ.] B

Service Law-Selection-Private aided college-Post of Librarian-
.... Qualification prescribed in terms of G.0.Ms of 1992-Said G. 0. Ms substituted
by G.O.Ms of 1999-Circular letter 31-8-2000 issued by State Government
clarifYing that existing procedure of Selection Committee in terms of the c

-.. earlier G.O.Ms was to be followed until further orders-Interpretation of-
Held: By reason of the Circular letter neither the effect of subsequent G.O.Ms
was taken away nor the said G. O.Ms can be said to have been again
replaced by the earlier G.O.Ms-Only the procedure laid down in the earlier
G.O.Ms was directed to be followed-The subsequent G.O.Ms operated in the D
field-Circulars/Government Order.

·- Appellant is a private aided college in which the post of Librarian fell
vacant Qualification for the post of Librarian was prescribed in terms of G.O.
Ms No.12 dated 10.10.1992. The said G.O. Ms was substituted by G.O. Ms.
No. 208 dated 29.6.1999. On a query with regard to the Selection procedure E
to be followed in view of the subsequent G.O.Ms, the State Government clarified
vide its circular letter 31-8-2000 that the existing procedure of Selection
Committee in terms of the earlier G.O. Ms was to be followed until further
orders.

The question which arose for consideration in the present appeals is F
• whether by reason of the circular letter dated 31.8.2000, the effect of
s1:1bsequent G.O. Ms. was taken away and the said G.O.Ms can be said to have
been again replaced by the earlier G.O.Ms.

Dismissing the appeals, the Court
G
-~
HELD: 1.1. G.O.Ms No. 12 dated 10.1.1992 has been substituted by
G.O.Ms. No. 208 dated 29.6.1999. Qualifications were prescribed for
. J- recruitment to the post of Librarian in latter G.O. viz. G.O. Ms. No. 208 dated
29.6.1999. The said G.O. shall operated in the field. [Para lOJ [875-C-DJ
871 H
872 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2007] 4 S.C.R.

A 1.2. By reason of the Circular letter dated 31.8.2000, the Commissioner ;... -~
and Director of Collegiate Education merely laid down that the existing
procedure in regard to the constitution or oth~rwise of the Selection
Committee as stated in G.O. Ms. No. 12 dated 10.1.1992 should be followed
until further orders. By reason of the Circular letter neither the effect of
G.O. Ms. No. 208 was taken away nor the said G.0.Ms. can be said to have
B been again replaced by G.O.Ms. No. 12of10.1.1992. Only the procedure laid
down in the former was directed to be followed. (Para 11) (875-D-E]

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 121 of2007.

C From the Judgment and Order dated 22.08.2006 of the High Court of
Andhra Pradesh at Hyderabad in Writ Appeal No. 1403 of2003.
WITH
C.A. No. 123/2007.

A. Subba Rao for the Appellant.
D Annam D.N. Rao, P. S. Narasimha, G. Girish Kumar and Kh. Nobin Singh,
for the Respondents.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by:

S.B. SINHA J. I. These appeals are directed against an order dated
E 22.s;2006 passed by a Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in
Writ Appeal No. I 043/2003 whereby and whereunder the judgment and order
of the learned Single Judge of the said Court dated 23. 7 .2003 passed in Writ
Petition No. 44 of 1999 allowing the Writ Petition filed by the first respondent
herein was allowed.
F 2. Indisputably, the post of Lecturer fell vacant in the appellant-
institution. Qualification for holding the said post, therefore, is prescribed by
the State of Andhra Pradesh as the institution is a private aided one. On or
about 16.11.84 G.O Ms. No. 491 was issued by the Government of Andhra
' '
Pradesh prescribing qualification for the post of Librarian which is in the
-.
following terms:
G
(i) Good academic record with at least a high second class Master's
Degree in a subject other than Library Science.
(ii) Master's Degree in Library Science with first or high second class ...
3. However, the University Grants Commission issued a notification
H dated 20.2.1990 prescribing minimum qualification for recruitment to the post
BESANT THEOSOPHICAL COLLEGE v. N. ANANTHAIAH [S.B. SINHA, J.] 873
of Librarian, Deputy Librarians, Assistant Librarian, whereafter G.O. Ms. No. A
12 was issued by the Government of Andhra Pradesh on 10.1.1992 which is
in the following terms:

"Lectures in Library Science in Degree Colleges

Candidates who have passed P.G. Degree in any subject with 55% B
marks and also P.G. Degree in Library Science with First or Second
Class with 55% marks and above.

As prescribed by the Government, from time to time, shall be C
eligible to apply for the post of Lecturer in Library Science in Degree
Colleges."

4. The Government of Andhra Pradesh thereafter issued G.O. Ms.No.
208 dated 29.6.1999 following the guidelines issued in that behalf by the
University Grants Commission as would appear from the following stipula~ions D
made therein:

"After considering the recommendations ofU.G.C. and after taking
into consideration the recommendation of the Five Member Committee,
the Government have decided that the service conditions of Teachers
like recruitment and qualifications, selection procedure career E
advancement, teaching days, work load, code of professional ethics,
accountability etc., shall be as indicated in the Appendix to this order.
The same shall be implemented by all Universities and D.O.E. wi~h in
a time frame of three months from the date of issue of this order by
amending necessary Statutes, Ordinances, Rules and Regulations".
F
5. In the Appendix to the G.O.Ms. No. 208, qualifications prescribed for
the post of Librarian (University) were as under:

"(l) Librarian (University)

(Q Master's Degree in Library science/information science/
G
documentation with at least 55% of the marks or its equivalent
" of B in the UGC seven point scale and consistently good academic
I,

record.
)o.
;-
(ii) At least thirteen years as a Deputy Librarian in a University
Library or eighteen years experience record;
H
874 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2007) 4 S.C.R.

A (iii) Evide.qce of innovative library service and organization of \.__
published work".

~- It is not in dispute that the first respondent herein is holder of a Post.;
Graduate Degree in Political Science. He also possesses Post Graduate Degree
in Library Science with 55% marks. As his case has not been considered by
B the appellant-institution rely"ing on or on the basis of the qualifications
prescribed in terms of G.O. Ms. aforementioned, he filed a writ petition. The
said writ petition was allowed in part holding as under:

"On the other hand, it is submitted that as per G.O. Ms.No. 127
dated 7.6.1993, the post of Librarian shall be filled by promotion from
.
c the post of Assistant Librarians, provided. they possesses the
qualifications prescribed by the U.G.C. Admittedly the petitioner though
possesses a Master's Degree, has not passed with high second class
and he has passed the Master's Degree in Library Science with high
Second Class. Though the petitioner is not qualification aqd not
e,ntitled for promotion to the post of Librarian, the fact remains that
D
the said solitary post is reserved to BC 'B' category and it is illegal
and contrary to the rule of reservation. It cannot be said that the :., .
petitioner cannot question the said notification which was issued to
fill up the post of Lecturer/Librarian, reserving the same is favour of
special class. The said notification reserving the said post is illegal
E and therefore, the Notification issued by the !st respondent is set
aside. If the post is not reserved, many more would have applied in
addition to the 3rd respondent. ·

It is stated that the 3rd Respondent is qualified as per G.O. Ms.
No. 691dated16.11.1984 and .she belongs to BC 'B' C?-tegory. Though
F she is qualified reserving the said post in favour of a single class is
not contemplated in the rules and the Notification is quashed only on
the ground that the reservation was made in favour of BC 'B' category
in contravention of the rule of reservation."

7. An Intra Court appeal preferred thereagainst has been allowed by a
· G Division bench by reason of the impugned judgment.
8. Mr. Subba Rao, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the appellant
would submit that having regard to the qualification prescribed by the
..
Government of Andhra Pradesh in terms of the Circular letter dated 31.8.2000,
H the High Court must be held to have committed a manifest error in passing
~~ BESANT THEOSPHICAL COLLEGE v. N. ANANTIWAH [S.B. SINHA, J.] 875

the impugned judgment. A
cJ~ The said letter reads thus:

"The Correspondent, Ideal College of Arts & Science, Kakinada
has sought clarification with regard to the Selection procedure to be
followed in view of the issue of G.O .. Ms. No. 208 Education B
(UE.Il-1) Department, dated 29.6.1999.

_-· In this connection all the correspondents of aided colleges in the
St~te
\
are informed to follow the existing procedure of Selection
Cs)mmittee in terms of G.O. Ms. No. 12-Edn, dated 10.1.1992 until
rr.rther orders." C
\
10 If'is not in dispute that G.O. Ms.No. 12 dated 10.1.1992 has been
substituted by G.O. Ms.No. 208 dated 29.6.1999. Qualifications were prescribed
for recruitment to the post of Librarian in later G.O. The said G.O. shall, in our
opinion, operates in the field.
D
11. By reason of the aforementioned Circular letter dated 31.8.2000, the
-...-i Commissioner and Director of Collegiate Education merely laid down that the
existing procedure in regard to the constitution or otherwise of the Selection
Committee as ~ted in the G.0.Ms. No. 12 dated I 0.1.1992 should be followed
until further orders. By reason of the Circular letter neither the effect of E
G.O.Ms. No. 208 was taken nor the said G.O. Ms. can be said to have been
again replaced by G.O. Ms.No. 12of10.1.1992. At the cost of repetition, it
may be stated !_hat only the procedure laid down in the former was directed
to be followed.

12. For the reasons aforementioned, we do not find any error in the p
judgment passed by the Division Bench of the High Court. These appeals are
~ " dismissed. No costs.

B.B.B. Appeals dismissed.

>- ')
r