DURGESH PRAJAPATI vs DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION on 4 November 2026

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL PRINCIPAL BENCH 61/35, COPERNICUS MARG,NEW DELHI-110001 Order Sheet Item no.: 8 O.A./4412/2026 (DELHI) [ RECRUITMENT ] With M.A./5679/2026 MA Joining Together Court No.: 3 No of Adjournment: Order Dated: 04/11/2026 DURGESH PRAJAPATI Vs DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

For Applicant(s) Advocate : Mr. Saaket Jain with Ms. Shivangi Anand and Mr. Sarthak Kr. Meena, Mr. Parth Taran Singh

For Respondent(s) Advocate : Mr. U N Singh for KVS, Mr. Dilbag Singh for DoE, Ms. Qurratulain, Ms. Deepa Rai, Mr. S Rajappa with R Gowrishankar and Ms. G Divyashri for R2 and R3 Order of The Tribunal This OA has been filed by 15 applicants, who are aspirants for the posts of TGT (Art Education) in KVS and TGT (Art) in NVS, pursuant to Recruitment Notification No. 01/2025 issued by the CBSE. They are aggrieved by the rejection of their respective candidatures on the ground that they have not studied Drawing and Painting as the main subject in all three years of graduation.

2. Learned counsel for the applicants submits that, in terms of the essential qualifications prescribed under the said recruitment notification, a candidate is required to possess a Bachelor's degree in Drawing and Painting/Sculpture/Graphic Art/Fine Arts from a recognised institution or university, with at least 50% marks, and should have studied Drawing and Painting as the main subject in all three years of graduation, apart from possessing the prescribed B.Ed. qualification.

3. Learned counsel for the applicants would further draw our attention to the year-wise marksheets of the applicants for all three years of their graduation, wherein the subject studied by them is reflected as Visual Arts. He submits that the applicants had studied Visual Arts as their main subject in all three years of graduation. However, merely because the subject is reflected as Visual Arts and not as Drawing and Painting in the marksheets, the applicants, who had qualified in Tiers I and II, were denied permission to participate in the interview and their candidatures were rejected by issuing rejection slips stating that they had not studied Drawing and Painting at the graduation level.

4. Learned counsel would also draw support from the certificate issued by the Registrar, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, dated 09.10.2026, bearing Ref. No. 1834/Committee/2026, certifying that the B.A. course in Visual Arts provides education in Drawing and Painting under the subject of Visual Arts–Fine Arts as a main subject throughout all three years of graduation.

5. He, therefore, submits that the respondents have rejected the candidature of the applicants merely on account of a difference in the nomenclature of the subject, without appreciating the actual subject studied by them and the clarification issued by the University. Consequently, the applicants have been deprived of an opportunity to participate further in the selection process.

6. Heard.

7. Issue notice.

8. Mr. U N Singh, learned counsel appearing on advance service, accepts notice on behalf of Respondent Nos. 2 and 3.

9. Ms. Deepa Rai, learned counsel appearing on advance service, accepts notice on behalf of Respondent Nos. 1.

10. Learned counsel for the respondents seeks time to file reply.

11. Learned counsel for the applicants presses for grant of interim protection. He submits that since the interview process has already been concluded, he would only request that the candidatures of the applicants be kept alive till the pendency of the OA.

12. Learned counsel for the respondents opposes the OA as well as the interim prayer and seeks some time to file reply.

13. In view of the above, the respondents are granted four weeks' time to file a reply.

14. Furthermore, the recruitment to the posts of TGT (Art)/TGT (Art Education) shall remain subject to the outcome of the present OA.

15. Re-list for consideration on 19.01.2027.

Dr. Sumeet Jerath Member (A) Harvinder Kaur Oberoi Member (J) Sourjya Sobhaniya ( steno 'c' )