BRAHMO SAMAJ EDUCATION SOCIETY AND ORS.versusSTATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.

A          BRAHMO SAMAJ EDUCATION SOCIETY AND ORS.
                                       V.

                   STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS.

                                 MAY 5, 2004
B
              [RAJENDRA BABU, CJ. AND G.P. MATHUR, J.]

          Constitution of India, 1950 :

         Articles 19(/}(g) and 26(a)--Education Society-Running aided
C educational institutions-Challenging provisions for appointment ofteachers
  by College Service Commission in its institutions-Held, independence for
  selection of teachers among the qualified candidates is fundamental to the
  maintenance of academic and administrative autonomy of an aided
  institution-Instiwtion 's right to administration includes the right to
D appoint teachers of its choice •.mwng the NETISLET qualified candidates--
  State Government would take note of declaration of law made by Supreme
  Court in this regard and make suitable amendment to relevant laws, rules
  and regulations-Till then interim orders passed by the Court would he
  operative-West Bengal College Service Commission Act, 1978-S. 7-
E West Bengal College Service Commission (Manner ofSelection of Persons
  for Appointmenr to the Post of Teachers Including Principals) Regulation,
  1980-Interim order.

          The State of West Bengal, in exercise of power under the
F   provisions of the West Bengal College Teachers (Security of Service)
    Act, 1975 and the West Bengal College Service Commission Act, 1978
    constituted the College Service Commission for appointment of teachers
    in colleges or institutions affiliated to a University in the State. The
    petitioner-Society claiming itself to be a religious minority and a
    religious denomination within the meaning of Articles 35, 26 and 30(1)
G   of the Constitution of India, filed the present writ petitions for a
    direction to prohibit the State Government from interfering with
    petitioner's right to appoint teachers in its institutions. The stand of
    the State Governml'nt was that the petitioner-Society did not belong
    to a minority religious community and the institutions run by it were
H   receiving aid from the State Government and, therefore, the latter was
                                       214
BRAHMO SAMAJ EDUCATION SOCIETY v. STATE [RAJENDRA BABU, Cl]         215

under an obligation to maintain a uniform standard of education A
throughout the State.

     Allowing the writ petitions, the Court

      HELD: t. Reading Articles 19(1)(g) and 26(a) of the Constitution B
together, the petitioner has a right to establish and administer educational
institutions. Merely because the petitioners are receiving aid, their
autonomy ofadministration cannot be totally restricted and institutions
cannot be treated as a government owned one. Receiving aid from State
coffers cannot be treated as a justification for imposition of any C
restrictions that cannot be imposed otherwise. (218-A-C; 221-A)

     2. The State can impose such conditions as are necessary for the
proper maintenance of standards of education and to check
maladministration. The State can regulate the method of selection and D
appointment of teachers after prescribing requisite qualification for
the same. Under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, the
University Grants Commission has laid down qualifications to a
teaching post in a University. UGC conducts National Eligibility Test
(NET) for determining teaching eligibility of candidates. It has also
authorized accredited States to conduct State Level Eligibility Test E
(SLET). Only a person who has qualified NET or SLET will be eligible
for appointment as a teacher in an aided institution. This is the
required basic qualification of a teacher. This also maintains equal
standard of teachers. 1219-A, D; 220-D-G)
                                                                          F
     1.3. Independence for the selection of teachers among the qualified
candidates is fundamental to the maintenance of the academic and
administrative autonomy of an aided institution. Petitioner's right to
administer includes the right to appoint teachers of its choice among the
NET/SLET qualified candidates. In this view of the matter, it is not G
necessary to decide the issue of minority/denominational status ofBrahmo
Samaj as the issue does not arise in the instant case. (218-A; 220-E-GI

    3. The State Government shall take note of the declaration of law
made by this Cou-rt* in this regard and make suitable amendments to H
    216                SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2004] SUPP. 2 S.C.R.

A their laws, rules and regulations to bring them in conformity with the
    principles set out therein. Till then the interim orders made by this
    Court in these proceedings will be operative. [221-Df

          *TMA. Pai Foundation v. State of Karnataka, [20021 8 SCC 481,
B   relied on.

        CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION : Writ Petition (C) Nos. 9683-
    9684 of 1983.

          Under Article 32 of the Constitution of India.
c
         Raju Ramachandran, Additional Solicitor General, Dipankar P. Gupta,
    Bhaskar Gupta, Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharjee, Shanti Bhushan, Pramod
    Swarup, Praveen Swarup, Ms. Pareena Swarup, Ms. Sunanda Roy, Jayant
    Tripathi, S. Ghose Chaudhary, H.K. Puri, S.K. Puri, Ujjwal Banerjee,
D   Rathin Das, Prashant Bhushan, Narinder Verma, Vishal Gupta, Sanjai
    Pathak, Ms. Shivangi, Ms. A. Subhashini, Bijan Kumar Ghosh, Ms. Rekha
    Pandey and Ms. Anil Katiyar for the appearing parties.

          The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
E
          RAJENDRA BABU, CJ. : Role of State in the appointment of a
    teacher at a State aided educational institution is the matter for settlement
    here.

          Facts that lead to the present case are as follows.
F
          The State of West Bengal passed the West Bengal College Teachers
    (Security of Service) Act, 1975 (the Security of Service Act) and West
    Bengal College Service Commission Act, 1978 (the College Service
    Commission Act). Latter mainly provides for the constitution of a College
G   Service:: Commission in West Bengal. Vide section 7 ofthe College Service
    Commission Act, the Commission is vested with the duty to select persons
    for appointment to the post of teachers of a college. By virtue of which,
    the power of appointment of a teacher in a college or institution affiliated
    to a University in West Bengal became vested in the Government appointed
H   College Service Commission. Pursuant to the College Service Commission
    BRAHMO SAMAJ EDUCATION SOCIETY v. STA TE [RAJENDRA BABU, CJ.]         217

    Act, the West Bengal College Service Commission (Manner of Selection A
    of Persons for Appointment to the posts of Teachers including Principles)
    Regulations, 1980 was also made. Appointments of teachers were made
    under this Scheme thereafter.

         Brahmo Samaj Education Society/Petitioners challenge this procedure B
    of appointing teachers. Petitioners case is that they are a religious minority
    and a religious denomination within the meaning of Articles 25, 26, and
    30(1) of the Constitution; that the appointment of teachers by the College
    Service Commission under the College Service Commission Act and other
    Orders/Rules is unconstitutional; that they alone have the right to appoint C
    teachers and enforce discipline amongst them; that therefore they prayed
    to a prohibit the State of West Bengal/Respondents from enforcing the
    Security of service Act and the College Service Commission Act.

          Stand maintained by the Respondents is that the Petitioner society
    does not belong to a minority religious community; that the Institutions run D
    by them are receiving funds from the state coffers and the State is under
    an obligation to maintain a uniform standard of education throughout the
    State; that the Petitioner's demand not to abide by the recommendation of
    an independent statutory authority (College Service Commission) would
    amount to denying opportunity of appointment to the best available E
    qualified persons as teachers; that therefore they prayed to dismiss the
    Petition.

          The main question for consideration is - whether the appointment of
    teachers through the selection of College Service Commission is permissible F
    or not, in other words, to decipher the role of State in the matter of
    appointment of teachers. To establish and administer an educational
    institution is held to be a right coming under Article 19(1 )(g) of the
    Constitution as enunciated in TM A Pai Foundation v. State of Karnataka,
    (2002] 8 SCC 481 (at pages 533-535, paragraphs 18-25]. According to
    Article 19(6) of the Constitution, the right to establish and maintain an G
    educational institution is subject to the reasonable restrictions by the State
    in the interest of general public. At the same time, subject to public order,
t   morality and health, every religious denomination or any section thereof
    can esta.blish and maintain educational institutions under Article 26(a) of
    the Co.nstituti6n. (See TM A Pai - Cited supra at page 535, paragraph 26). H
    218                 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2004) SUPP. 2 S.C.R.

A Reading Article 19(1 )(g) and Article 26(a) of the Constitution together, the
    petitioners have a right to establish and maintain educational institutions
    and hence we do not think it is necessary to decide the issue of minority
    I denominational status of Brahmo Samaj to decide the issue in hand. In
    our view this issue does not arise in the context of present case.

B
          The question now before us is to decide whether the appointment of
    teachers in an aided institution by the College Service Commission by
    restricting the Petitioner's right to appointment is a reasonable restriction
    in the interest of general public or not. The Petitioner has a right to establish
C   and administer educational institution. Merely because the petitioners are
    receiving aid, their autonomy of administration cannot be totally restricted
    and institutions cannot be treated as a government owned one. Of course
    the State can impose such conditions as are necessary for the proper
    maintenance of standards of education and to check maladministration.
    It is stated in TM A Pai that :
D
             "'While giving aid to professional institutions, it would be
             permissible for the authority giving aid to prescribe by rules or
             regulations, the conditions on the basis of which admission will
             be granted to different aided colleges by virtue of merit, coupled
E            with the reservation policy of the State. The merit may be
             determined either through a common entrance test conducted by
             the university or the Government followed by counselling, or on
             the basis of an entrance test conducted by individual institutions
             - the method to be followed is for the university or the Government
             to decide. The authority may also devise other means to ensure
F            that admission is granted to an aided professional institution on
             the basis of merit. In the case of such institutions, it will be
             permissible for the Government or the university to provide that
             consideration shoulrl be shown to the weaker sections of the
             society."
G                                                            [at p. 550, para 71)

             "Once aid is granted to a private professional educational institution,
             the Government or the State agency, as a condition of the grant
             of aid, can put fetters on the freedom in the matter of administration
H            and management of the institution. The State, which gives aid to
BRAHMO SAMAJ EDUCATION SOCIETY v. STATE [RAJENDRA BABU, CJ.]         219

       an educational institution, can impose such conditions as are A
       necessary for the proper maintenance of the high standards of
       education as the financial burden is shared by the State. The State
       would also be under an obligation to protect the interest of the
       teaching and non-teaching staff. In many States, there are various
       statutory provisions to regulate the functioning of such educational B
       institutions where the States give, as a grant or aid, a substantial
       proportiori of the revenue expenditure including salary, pay and
       allowances of teaching and non-teaching staff. It would be its
       responsibility to ensure that the teachers working in those
       institutions are governed by proper service conditions. The State, C
       in the case of such aided institutions, has ample power to regulate
       the method of selection and appointment of teachers after
       prescribing requisite qualifications for the same. Ever since, in Re.
       Kerala Education Bill, 1957 [1959 SCR 995] this Court has
       upheld, in the case of aided institutions, those regulations that D
       served the interests of students and teachers. Checks on the
       administration may be necessary in order to ensure that the
       administration is efficient and sound and will serve the academic
       needs of the institutions. In other words, rules and regulations that
       promote good administration and prevent maladministration can E
       be formulated so as to promote the efficiency of teachers,
       discipline and fairness in administration and to preserve harmony
       among affiliated institutions. At the same time it has to be ensured
       that .even an aided institution does not become a government-
       owned and controlled institution. Normally, the aid that is granted
       is relatable to the pay and allowances of the teaching staff. In F
       addition, the management of the private aided institutions has to
        incur revenue and capital expenses. Such aided institutions cannot
       obtain that extent of autonomy in relation to management and
        administration as would be available to a private unaided institution,
        but at the same time, it cannot also be treated as an educational G
        institution departmentally run by Government or as a wholly
       owned and controlled government institution and interfere with
       constitution of the governing bodies or thrusting the staff without
        reference to management."
                                                    [pp. 550, 551, para 72] H
    220                SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2004] SUPP. 2 S.C.R.

A            ''There are a large number of educational institutions, like schools
             and non-professional colleges, which cannot operate without the
             support or aid from the State. Although these institutions may
             have been established by philanthropists or 0ther public-spirited
             persons, it becomes necessary, in order to provide inexpensive
B            education to the students, to seek aid from the State. In such cases,
             as those of the professional aided institutions refrrred to
             hereinahove, the Government would be entitled to make regulations
             relating to the terms and conditions of employment of the teaching
             and non-teaching staff whenever the aid for the posts is given by
             the State as well as admission procedures. Such rules and
c             regulations can also provide for the reasons and the manner in
              which a teacher or any other member of the staff can be removed.
              In other words, the autonomy of a private aided institution would
              be less than that of an unaided institution.
                                                               [p. 551, para 73]
D
        But that control cannot extend to the day-to-day administration of the
  institution. It is categorically stated in TM A Pai (cited supra at page 551,
  paragraph 72) that the State can regulate the method of selection and
  appointment of teachers after prescribing requisite qualification for the
E same. Independence for the selection of teachers among the qualified
  candidates is fundamental to the maintenance of the academic and
  administrative autunomy of an aided institution. The State can very well
  provide the basic qualification for teachers. Under the University Grants
  Commission Act, 1956, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has laid
F down qualifications to a teaching post in a University by passing Regulations.
  As per this Regulations UGC conducts National Educational Testing (NET)
  for determining teaching eligibility of candidates. UGC has also authorized
  accredited States to conduct State Level Eligibility Test (SLET). Only a
  person who has qualified NET or SLET will be eligible for appointment
  as a teacher in an aided institution. This is the required basic qualification
G of a teacher. Petitioner's right to administer includes the right to appoint
  teachers of its choice among the NET/SLET qualifit>d candidates.

         Argument on behalfofthe State that the appointment through College
    Service Commission is to maintain the equal standard of education all
H   thoughout the state of West Bengal does not impress us. The equal standard
BRAHMO SAMAJ EDUCATION SOCIETY v. STA TE [RAJENDRA BABU, CJ.]           221

of teachers are already maintained by the NET ISLET. Similarly, receiving A
aid from State coffers can also not be treated as a justification for
imposition of any restrictions that cannot be imposed otherwise.

   Both sides rely on the passages quoted above from the judgment in
TM A Pai to project their respective contentions.                    B

      When a larger Bench consisting of 11 Judges of this Court in TM
A Pai has declared what the law on the matter is, we do not want to dilute
the effect of the same by analysing various statements made therein or
indulge in any dissection of the principles underlying it. We would rather
state that the State Government shall take note of the declarations of law C
made by this Court in this regard and make suitable amendments to their
laws, rules and regulations to bring them in conformity with the principles
set out therein.

      In this view of the matter, it is unnecessary to examine whether the D
present rules are valid or not. Until such time as such rules are framed in
terms of the order made by us now, the interim orders made by this Court
in these proceedings will be operative.

       These petitions shall stand allowed in tenns of what is stated above.   E

R.P.                                                     Petitions allowed.