Court: dual degree cant be a basis for promotion

K.T. SANGAMESWARAN
Equating such degree with 3-year degree will sound death knell for schools

Is a person with an additional degree of one-year duration in a particular subject entitled for
promotion as B.T. Assistant? No, says the Madras High Court.
If one-year degrees are recognised as equivalent to three-year degrees, that will sound the death
knell for schools run by government, Justice V. Ramasubramanian has observed.
A one-year degree, by whatever name it is called (either dual degree or second degree) was one
another perversion of the system that was evolved more than a century ago as an extension
programme with a noble objective. It will be interesting to note that persons who acquire such
one-year degrees or open university degrees do not get employment in private sector. It is only in
government service they seek appointments, promotions, incentives, increments etc. Therefore,
these degrees are specially designed and tailor-made by universities for serving or aspiring
government servants.
Mr. Justice Ramasubramanian was allowing a batch of writ petitions, in which a few secondary
grade teachers (SGTs) had expressed grievances that some of their counterparts had been included
in the panels for promotion as B.T. Assistant in subjects they had secured an additional degree of
one-year duration.
Many of the petitioners challenged an order of December 18, 2008 which indicated that persons
possessing a dual degree, obtained after a one-year study, could be considered for promotion. Since
the panels for promotion were prepared by the authorities on the basis of the subject roster,
depending upon the vacancies available in each subject, the SGTs, who contested the writ petitions,
secured one-year additional degrees in the subjects concerned.
The Judge observed that the stand taken by the authorities appeared to be wavering and not
consistent throughout. He referred to a communication of the Director of Elementary Education of
July 19 this year which supported the petitioners stand.
The various orders reflect the merry-go-round approach on the part of the respondents
(authorities) on this issue which is of a serious consequence.
He said as per the UGC regulations no student would be eligible for the award of the first degree
unless he had successfully completed a three-year course.
A person who had studied a degree course in a subject of duration of three years and a person who
studied a degree course in the same discipline for one year could never be considered equals.
Mr. Justice Ramasubramanian said teacher recruitment was being made merely based on the
seniority of registration in employment exchanges in the past few years. This itself has struck at
the root of quality, in the matter of selection.
The official stand in their communication of July 19, not to recognise dual degrees, was a correct
and appreciable step.

The Judge directed the authorities not to recognise for appointment or promotion, the dual degrees
obtained by candidates after undergoing a one-year course as equivalent to a three-year degree
course.