State of Haryana and Another v. Ramphal Singh and Others

LPAoNo.2075oofo2024oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-1 -

INoTHEoHIGHoCOURToOFoPUNJABoANDoHARYANAo AToCHANDIGARHo o o Reservedoono:oo07thoMay,o2025o thoDateoofoPronouncement:oo28 ooMay,o2025o

1.o LPAoNo.2075oofo2024o(O&M)o o StateoofoHaryanaoandoanothero o o o …oAppellantso Versuso RamphaloSinghoandoothersoo o o o …oRespondentsoo o

2.o LPAoNo.2172oofo2024o(O&M)o o StateoofoHaryanaoandootherso o o o …oAppellantso Versuso PritamoSinghoandoothersoooo o o o …oRespondentsoo o o

3.o LPAoNo.2201oofo2024o(O&M)o o StateoofoHaryanaoandootherso o o o …oAppellantso Versuso PremoKumaroBajajoo ooo o o o …oRespondentoo o

4.o LPAoNo.2338oofo2024o(O&M)o o StateoofoHaryanaoandootherso o o o …oAppellantso Versuso BaljeetoSinghoo o ooo o o o …oRespondentoo o

5.o LPAoNo.2895oofo2024o(O&M)o o StateoofoHaryanaoandootherso o o o …oAppellantso Versuso SubhashoChanderoandoothersooo o o o …oRespondentsoo o

6.o LPAoNo.3295oofo2024o(O&M)o o StateoofoHaryanaoandootherso o o o …oAppellantso Versuso RajbiroSinghoKuharoandoothersooo o o …oRespondentsoo o

7.o LPAoNo.3367oofo2024o(O&M)o o StateoofoHaryanaoandoanothero o o o …oAppellantso Versuso SatpaloSingho o oo o o o …oRespondentoo o o o LPAoNo.2075oofo2024oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-2 -

8.o LPAoNo.84oofo2025o(O&M)o o StateoofoHaryanaoandootherso o o o …oAppellantso Versuso AshokoKumaroandoothersooo o o o …oRespondentsoo o

9.o LPAoNo.129oofo2025o(O&M)o o StateoofoHaryanaoandootherso o o o …oAppellantso Versuso AshwanioSehgalo o oo o o o …oRespondentoo o

10.o LPAoNo.146oofo2025o(O&M)o o StateoofoHaryanaoandootherso o o o …oAppellantso Versuso JaimaloSinghoandoothersoo oo o o o …oRespondentsoo o

11.o LPAoNo.382oofo2025o(O&M)o o StateoofoHaryanaoandoanothero o o o …oAppellantso Versuso RamoNiwasooo oo oo o o o …oRespondentoo o st12.o LPAoNo.1531oofo2025o(O&M)oo ooReservedoono:o21 oMay,o2025o o StateoofoHaryanaoandootherso o o o …oAppellantso Versuso BirenderoSingho@oVirenderoSinghoandoothersoo …oRespondentso ooo o CORAM:oHON'BLEoMR.oJUSTICEoSANJEEVoPRAKASHoSHARMAoo o ooooooooHON'BLEoMRS.oJUSTICEoMEENAKSHIoI.oMEHTAo o Presento Mr.oVivekoChauhan,oAdditionaloAdvocateoGeneral,oHaryana,o forotheoappellantsoinoLPAoNo.o1531oofo2025.o o Ms.oShrutioJainoGoyal,oSenioroDeputyoAdvocateoGeneral,o Haryana,oforotheoappellantsoinootherocases.o Mr.oHarshoVardhanoShehrawat,oAdvocate,ofororespondentono.1-o CaveatoroinoLPAoNo.o1531oofo2025.o o Mr.oD.S.oPatwalia,oSenioroAdvocateoassistedobyoo Mr.oA.S.oChadha,oAdvocate,oforotheorespondentsoo (inoLPAsoNo.2075,o2895/2024oandoLPAsoNo.146o&o84/2025).o o Mr.oHarshoVardhanoShehrawat,oAdvocateoandoo Mr.oRavioSingh,oAdvocate,oforotheorespondentsoo (inoLPAsoNo.o129oando84oofo2025).o LPAoNo.2075oofo2024oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-3 -

o Mr.oS.K.oSharma,oAdvocateoandoo Mr.oRajatoSharma,oAdvocateofororespondentoNo.4oo (inoLPAoNo.2172oofo2024).o o Mr.oS.S.oGrewal,oAdvocateoforotheorespondent(s)oo (inoLPAoNo.2338oofo2024).o o Mr.oRakeshoSobti,oAdvocateofororespondentoNo.1oo (inoLPAoNo.2201oofo2024)oandoo fororespondentoNo.1o(inoLPAoNo.2172oofo2024).o o SANJEEVoPRAKASHoSHARMA,oJ.oo oo o ChallengeoinotheopresentoappealsobyotheoStateoofoHaryanaoisotoo theojudgmentodatedo16.02.2024opassedoinoCWPoNo.o6452oofo1993oRamphalo andoothersovsoStateoofoHaryanaoandoothers,owherebyotheolearnedoSingleo Judgeoallowedotheobunchoofowritopetitionsofiledobyotheopresentorespondents.oIno LPAoNo.o1531oofo2025ochallengeoisotootheojudgmentodatedo14.08.2024opassedo inoCWPoNo.o19748oofo2024,owhichowasoalsooallowedobyotheolearnedoSingleo JudgeoinotermsoofoRamphal'socaseo(supra).ooo

2.o o BriefofactsoareobeingotakenofromoCWPoNo.o6452oofo1993.oTheo petitionerso thereino statedo thato theyo wereo workingo aso Generalo Foundationo Courseo Instructorso (hereinaftero too beo referredo aso 'GFCo Instructors')o ino differento Governmento Vocationalo Educationo Instituteso (hereinaftero too beo referredoaso'VEIs')oinotheoStateoofoHaryana.oSomeoofothemowereoappointedoino 1983owhileosomeohaveobeenoappointedoino1986,o1988oando1992.oTheyoallo possessoeducationaloqualificationsoofoM.A.oinoSociologyooroEconomicsoando someoofothemohaveopassedoM.PhiloandoB.Ed.oexaminationoalso.oTheyowereo teachingo differento subjectso ofo +2o system,o whicho waso adoptedo aso parto ofo syllabuso foro studentso ofo Vocationalo Educationo Institutionsoinotheo Stateoofo LPAoNo.2075oofo2024oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-4 -

Haryana.o Theo syllabuso haso beeno approvedo byo theo Nationalo Councilo ofo Educationalo Researcho ando Trainingo (NCERT)o ando theo standardo iso ofo thGovernmentoVocationaloEducationaloInstitutionsoofo12 oClassoisoequivalento too10+2ocourseoofotheoHaryanaoSchooloEducationoBoard.oo

3.o o Theoannualoexaminationoofostudentsoofo+2oVocationaloEducationo Schemeo waso conductedo byo theo Stateo Councilo foro Vocationalo Educationo Haryanao ando waso recognizedo byo theo Maharishio Dayanando University,o Rohtak,oasoequivalentotoo+2ostageoofopatronoofoeducationoforotheopurposeoofo admissionotootheograduationocoursesowithoeffectofromo1987-88.oVideoordero datedo16.01.1990,otheoGovernoroofoHaryanaopassedotheoorderothatotheoannualo examinationoofotheostudentsoofo10+2oclassesostudyingoinovariousovocationalo educationaloinstitutionsounderotheo+2oSchemeoofovocationaloeducationowouldo henceforthobeoconductedobyotheoHaryanaoSchooloEducationoBoardoinsteadoofo DepartmentoofoIndustrialoTrainingoandoVocationaloEducation,oHaryanaoando certificateso wereo alsoo beo issuedo byo theo saido Board.o Upono closureo ofo theo VocationaloEducationoSchemeoino2007,otheoexistingostaffoofo31ovocationalo instituteso waso transferredo too theo Departmento ofo Secondaryo Education;o however,otheyowereokeptoinoaoseparateopayoscaleoandoseparateocadre.oSomeoofo theo vocationalo educationalo instructorso wereo transferredo too theo Technicalo Educationo Departmento whileo fewo ofothemo wereo retainedoinotheo Industrialo TrainingoandoVocationaloEducationoDepartment.oo

4.o o Theopetitionersopreferredoaowritopetitionoclaimingothatotheirojobo requirementowereosimilarotoothatoofoLecturerso(SchooloCadre)oworkingoinotheo senioro secondaryo schoolso ino theo Educationo Department.o Ito iso becauseo theo syllabusobeingotaughtobyotheoVEIsoandotheoLecturerso(SchooloCadre)owaso LPAoNo.2075oofo2024oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-5 -

approvedo byo theo NCERT,o buto theo petitioners,o whoo wereo VEIs,o hado beeno discriminatedoinotheomatteroofopay-scales.oWhileotheoVEIsowereoplacedoinotheo pay-scaleoofo`oo1400-2600oandotheoLecturersowereogivenotheohigheropay-scaleo ofo`o2000-3500.oTheowritopetitionersofurtheropointedooutothatotheiropayoscaleo wasoplacedo equivalento tootheo Masters/o JBTo Teachers,o whoowereo teachingo classesotooMatric/oPrimaryostandard.oTheowritopetitionsowere,otherefore,ofiledo beforeotheolearnedoSingleoJudgeoclaimingoparityoofopay-scale.oo

5.o o Aso pero theo additionalo factso broughto ono record,o theo Stateo Governmento has,o principallyo agreedo too changeo theo nomenclatureo ofo vocationalo teachers/o GFCo Instructorso too theo nameo ofo Vocational/o GFCo Lecturerso ono theo conditionso thato theyo shallo notodemando highero pay-scale.o Videoletterodatedo06.07.2009,oaotentativeojointoseniorityolist,oincludingotheo petitionerso (GFCo Instructors),o aso wello aso Englisho ando Hindio Languageo Teachersoandoemployeesofromootherotrades,owasoprepared.oVideonotificationo datedo 11.06.2008,o 68o VEIso wereo transferredo too differento Governmento Departmentso includingo Educationo Departmento ando Technicalo Educationo Department.o Ino 2017,o theo designationo ofo Vocational/GFCo Instructorso waso changedotooEmployabilityoSkillsoInstructor.oo

6.o o Theo appellantso haveo contestedo theo claimo ando submittedo thato thereo waso noo basiso foro theo petitionerso too claimo parityo ino payo scaleso witho employeeso whoo wereo transferredo too theo differento departmentso witho theo Lecturerso (Schoolo Cadre)o workingo ino theo Educationo Department.o Ito waso furthero submittedo thato qualificationso foro twoo postso wereo differento whileo Lecturerso (Schoolo Cadre)o wereo requiredo too possesso post-graduationo LPAoNo.2075oofo2024oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-6 -

qualification of M.A./M.Sc. /M.Com. Group-B Instructors were required to have M.A. Sociology or Economics with Hindi upto Matric.

¶7Learned Single Judge took into consideration the judgment passed in CWP No. 10269 of 2010 Makhan Singh and others vs State of Haryana and another, decided on 23.09.2015 and noticed that this Court had granted VEIs same pay-scale as admissible to Lecturers (School Cadre). When the scheme was terminated, VEIs were categorized as Vocational Education Instructors, GFC Instructors, Language Teachers Hindi and English. A joint seniority list was also published on 06.07.2009 of the GFC Instructors and the Language Teachers and, therefore, it held that the pay scale was also required to be similar for both of Vocational Education Instructors and the Lecturers (School Cadre).

¶8We also notice that the learned Single Judge has taken into consideration the judgment of this Court in Ram Chander and others vs State of Haryana and another 1993 (1) RSJ 648, wherein it was held that the Language Teachers and GFC Instructors working in the Government Vocational Education Institutes were entitled to the same pay-scale as admissible to Lecturers in senior secondary schools in the State of Haryana. The GFC Instructors did not press the said petition and it was dismissed qua them. Learned State counsel, therefore, submitted that there is difference in qualification of posts held by the petitioners with that of Lecturers (School Cadre) and pay parity can, therefore, not be admissible.

¶9We notice that this Court in Makhan Singh's case (supra), made theofollo1ingoo ser(ations&:o authencity of this LPAoNo.2075oofo2024oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-7 -

"Onoperusaloofotheoaforesaid,oIoamoofotheoviewothatotheo standoofotheorespondentsocannotobeosustainedoinotheoeyeso ofo lawo foro theo simpleo reasono thato theo petitionerso wereo designatedoasoLecturersoandohadosimilaro"ualificationoaso theo oneso possessedo byo theo Lecturerso ino theo Schoolo Educationo Department.o #heo petitionerso havingo beeno absorbedoinotheoEducationoDepartmentowouldobeoentitledo toosimilarotreatmentoinomattersoofopayoparticularlyowheno thereo iso noo distinctiono betweeno theo functionso beingo dischargedo byo botho theo setso ofo employees.o Ito haso beeno statedothatotheopetitionersoareoteachingohigheroclassesoofo tho ando !tho whereaso Lecturerso ino Educationo Departmentowereoteachingoclasseso$thotoo !th.%oo 1).o o Bheosaidojudgmento1asoupheldo yoHon@ leotheoSupreme Court and complied with by the appellants giving the pay scale to the concerned writ petitioners as admissible to the Lecturers (School Cadre). The learned Single Judge found that the case of the petitioners cannot be distinguished from that of Ram Chander's case (supra) and applied principle of equal pay for equal work. The learned Single Judge, therefore, did not accept the contention of learned counsel for the appellant that the case would not fall within the four corners of Makhan Singh's and Ram Chander's cases (supra). The writ petitions were, accordingly, allowed and learned Single Judge held the petitioner to be entitled for grant of pay scales as admissible to Lecturers (School Cadre) in the School Education Department with effect from 16.01.1999.

¶11In appeal, learned State counsel has vehemently argued that the grant of pay scales to the Vocational Education Instructors was wrongful. The learned Single Judge has wrongly relied on Makhan Singh's case authencity of this LPAoNo.2075oofo2024oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-8 -

(supra) as the petitioners in Makhan Singh's and Ram Chander's (cases) were working as Instructors in the Vocational Education Institution and had been adjusted in the Education Department, while some were adjusted in Technical Education Department. Since Makhan Singh and another were transferred to School Education Department, there case was not similar to the case of the petitioner. It was, therefore, submitted that the writ petitioners were not entitled to draw the same pay of the post which they were drawing in Industrial Training and Vocational Education Department and not that which was granted to Makhan Singh and others, who have been transferred to the Education Department.

¶12The main issue which needs to be decided whether those Vocational Education Instructors who continued to remain in Industrial Training Department would be entitled to the same pay scale as has been given to their counterparts who were transferred to the School Education Department. In the opinion of this Court, transferring of some of the Vocational Education Instructors to the Technical Education Department or to the State Education Department is a fortuitous circumstance and on the basis similarly placed persons cannot be denied similar pay scale. Once it has come on record that the educational qualifications as well as teaching pattern of the petitioners is not different from the pattern of education being provided by the erstwhile VEIs designated as School Lecturers.

¶13We notice that the work being performed is of teaching classes upto +2 and the vocational instructors who continued in vocational institutions have now been also designated as Lecturers (school cadre). authencity of this LPAoNo.2075oofo2024oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-9 -

¶14An affidavit has been filed by Additional Director (Tech.) Skill Development & Industrial Training Department, Haryana, wherein the qualifications of the writ petitioners and the school Lecturers as per applicable statutory service rules has been placed in a tabulated form. It would be apposite to quote the same:- Respondents School Lecturers Initially Applicable Haryana Industrial Training The Haryana State Education Rules and Vocational Education School Cadre (Group-C) (Field Offices) Group-C, 1998 Service Rules, 1998 Prescribed As Group Foundation Course Qualification Instructors in Vocational Education Institutes

(i) Post Graduation Degree in (i) M.A. in relevant subject Economics/ Agriculture with atleast 50% marks from Economics/ Extension Service recognized university; AND Environment Science / Commerce from a recognized university.

(ii) Knowledge of Hindi upto (ii) Knowledge of Hindi upto matric standard. matric standard. Now Applicable Industrial Training Haryana State Education Rules Department, Haryana, Field School Cadre short title Offices (Group-C) Service (Group B) Service Rules, 2012 (Amendment) Rules, 2023 Prescribed As Employability Skill Qualification Instructors in Skill Development & Industrial Training Department

(i) Full time regular mode (i) M.A. in relevant subject Master Degree in Business with atleast 50% marks and Administration (MBA) after B.Ed. from recognized BBA from any recognized university; AND university or institute (ii) Matric with Hindi/ approved by All India Council Sanskrit or 10+2/ B.A./M.A. of Technical Education or with Hindi as one of the Institute established by subject, AND Ministry of Human Resource (iii) Certificate of having Development, Government of qualified Haryana Teachers' India; and eligibility Test (HTET) School

(ii) Hindi or Sanskrit as one of Teachers Eligibility TEST these subject in Matric or (STET) Higher Education (iv) Consistent good academic record.

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15.o o Itohasoalsoobeenostatedothatotheonatureoofodutiesobeingodischargedo aso schoolo Lecturerso areo different,o whileo theo Departmento ofo Skillo Developmento ando Industrialo Trainingo iso impartingo skillo basedo trainingo ino differentotradesotootheounemployedoyouthothroughotheonetworkoofoindustrialo trainingoinstitutesoforoemployment/oself-employment.oEngineeringoandoNon-Engineeringotradeocoursesoofooneoandotwooyearsodurationoareobeingorunoinotheo saidoinstitutesowithotheoprimaryoobjectiveotooprovideoskillocraftsomanpowerotoo industriesoandoalsooprovideoselfoemploymentoopportunities.oTheorelevantoparto ofotheoaffidavitoisoextractedobelow:-o "ITIo instructorso teacho ino Industrialo Trainingo Institutes,o whicho areo focusedo ono practicalo skillso ando tradeso sucho aso electricalowork,ocarpentry,oplumbing,owelding,omechanics,oetc.o Theiroprimaryofocusoisotooimpartohands-onoskillsothatoprepareo studentsoforospecificotradesoandoindustrialojobs.ITIoInstructorso haveo technicalo qualificationso likeo degrees,o diplomas,o certifications,o oro ITI-specifico certificates.o Manyo Io instructorso alsoopossessoindustryoexperienceoinotheirotrade,oensuringotheyo canoeffectivelyoteachotheoneededopracticaloskillsotootheotrainees.o oo InoIndustrialoTrainingoInstitutes,otheocurriculumoisojob-orientedo ando focuseso ono impartingo practicalo skills,o hands-ono trainingoandoworkshop-basedolearning.oCoursesoareodesignedo aroundo specifico tradeso likeo carpentry,o plumbing,o electronics,o automotiveomechanics,oetc.oTheocurriculumoisomoreospecializedo andolessofocusedoonotheoreticaloknowledge.oStudentsomustohaveo passedoatoleasto8thograde,o10thogradeo(Matriculation),ooro12tho grade,o dependingo ono theo trade.o Mosto ITIo courseso requireo ao minimumo ofo 10th-gradeo education.o Foro someo trades,o specifico subjectsolikeoScienceoandoMathematicsoatotheo10th-gradeoleveloiso required.o LPAoNo.2075oofo2024oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-11 -

oo Aftero completiono ofo theo skillo training,o studentso areo awardedowithocourseocertificatesospecificotootheirotradeofromotheo NationaloCounciloforoVocationaloTraining,oNCVT.o oo Whereas,o Schoolo lecturerso teacho ino secondaryo schoolso (Gradeso9-12),ofocusingoonoacademicosubjectsolikeomathematics,o science,ohistory,oorolanguages.oTheyodeliveroformaloeducationo followingostateooronationalocurriculao(e.g.,oCBSE,oICSE,oStateo Boards).o Schoolo Lecturerso holdo Master'so degrees.o Theyo alsoo haveo additionalo qualificationso likeo B.Ed.o (Bacheloro ofo Education)ooroM.Ed.o(MasteroofoEducation),owhichoareoteachingo qualificationsospecificotooschooloeducationoalongowithotheoStateo TeacheroEligibilityoCertificate.o oo InoSchools,otheocurriculumoisotheoreticalosubjectsoacrosso variousodisciplines.oAtotheoendoofosecondaryoeducationo(Gradeo 10),o studentso receiveo boardo certificationo (e.g.,o CBSE,o ICSE,o Stateo Boards).o Ino schools,o Lecturerso prepareso studentso foro ao varietyoofohigheroeducationopathwaysoandocareerooptionsoandoino ITIsospecializedovocationalotrainingothatoequipsostudentsowitho practicalo skillso foro immediateo employmento ino tradeso ando industries."o

16.o o WeoalsoonoticeothatosoofaroasojudgmentoinoMakhanoSingh'socaseo (supra)oisoconcerned,owhileooriginallyosuchopersonsowereoworking,olikeotheo petitioners,oinotheoVocationaloWingoasoVocationaloEducationoInstructors,obuto theyowereodeclaredosurplusoandoabsorbedoinotheoEducationoDepartment.oAftero absorbingo ino theo Educationo Department,o theyo haveo beeno teachingo regularo classes.oThus,oHon'bleotheoSupremeoCourtoasowelloasotheoHighoCourtodirectedo themotoobeogivenotheosameopayoscaleoasothatoofotheootheroschoololecturerso workingoinotheoEducationoDepartment.oHowever,osoofaroasothoseowhooareo workingoinotheoSkilloDevelopmentoandoIndustrialoTrainingoareoconcerned,o theiroscopeoofoworkoandodutiesoisocompletelyodifferent.oInitiallyothoughotheo LPAoNo.2075oofo2024oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-12 -

VEIs were teaching upto class twelfth in the vocational classes but after bifurcation into three departments i.e. Technical Education, Secondary Education and Industrial Training Institutes, the scope of training in it cannot be said to be similar to that of Education Department.

¶17In our opinion, both the classes of teachers are distinguishable with regard to their skill and work and also with reference to the students to whom they are providing training. They can, therefore, not claim same pay scale on the basis of 'equal pay for equal work'.

¶18Similarly the case of Ram Chander's case (supra) is also distinguishable on facts. We find that the learned Single Judge has erred in following the law as laid down in Ram Chander's case (supra) to allow the writ petitions. In Ram Chander's case (supra), the petitioners were originally working as Language Teachers in various VEIs. They can claim parity with Lecturers working in senior secondary schools, which was granted to them. So far as GFC Instructors are concerned, they are imparting training in various Vocational Fields and cannot be said to be imparting education of +2 under the regular education system. The syllabus is also different.

¶19The Courts while sitting in judicial review would not be expected to have expertise to grant equivalence to the employees with regard to pay scales and it is exclusively in the domain of the administration to decide as to what pay scales should be given to a particular set of employees. Each department has different job, syllabus as well as the field of education. Scope of duties is different; responsibilities are also different; and education authencity of this
qualifications order dated 1 accordingly s ) 
     "04 123 ( <  <    
s are also different. We, there

16.02.2024 passed by the learne set aside. The appeals are allowe .  %  3%    

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fore, are unable to uphold the ed Single Judge and the same is ed.     (

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