IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.10798 of 2008 Ranjit Kumar Jha, son of Badrinath Jha, resident of village Biraul, P.S. Biraul, District- Darbhanga. …….. Petitioner Versus 1.The State Of Bihar 2.Principal Secretary, Department of Human Resources, Bihar, Patna 3.Director, Primary Education, Department of Human Resources, Bihar, Patna 4.District Magistrate, Darbhanga 5.District Education Officer, Darbhanga 6.District Superintendent of Education, Darbhanga 7.Block Education Extension Officer, Biraul, P.S. Biraul, District- Darbhanga 8.Mukhiya, Panchayat Sonpur Paghari Block Biraul, District- Darbhanga 9.Panchayat Sachiv, Panchayat Sonpur, Paghari, Block Biraul, District- Darbhanga. …………. Respondents ---------------------------------- 2. 19/09/2011 Merit list prepared in the proceeding of the Selection Unit dated 5.12.2007 produced with the counter affidavit is now being challenged by the petitioner by filing I.A. No.6387 of 2011 from which it appears that one Bhavesh Nath Jha, who was second in the merit list was selected for appointment as Panchayat Teacher rejecting the case of the petitioner on the ground that he had Intermediate degree from a vocational course. I.A. is accordingly allowed. Petitioner is granted liberty to challenge the same. Learned counsel for the petitioner 2 submits that this Court has already held that Intermediate degree from vocational course has to be treated as equivalent to an Intermediate degree from a regular course, vide judgment passed in the case of Krishna Prasad Vs. State of Bihar, 2008(3) PLJR 283 and an order of this Court dated 18.4.2007 passed in C.W.J.C.No.1631 of 2007, a copy whereof is annexed as Annexure-7 with the writ application. He also submits that the second candidate in the panel, namely, Bhavesh Nath Jha was son of the Mukhiya, who had participated in the selection process and selected his own son. Stand of learned counsel for the petitioner, so far as equivalence of Intermediate degree from vocational course is concerned, is right. This Court has already held such degree as equivalent to Intermediate degree of a regular course. In that view of the matter, petitioner’s case on that ground could not be rejected by the Selection Unit. A prayer has also been made in the I.A. for adding Bhavesh Nath Jha and his father Rama Nath Jha as party respondents in the 3 case. However, this Court is of the view that by adding them party in this case and issuing notice to them may delay the matter. Hence, petitioner is granted liberty to file an appeal before the statutory Appellate Authority constituted under the Rules within four weeks from today relying upon said judgments of this Court. If he does so, the Appellate Authority shall issue notice to the concerned parties including said Bhavesh Nath Jha, giving them opportunity to be heard, shall also call for the records, if necessary, and shall decide the appeal on merits positively within two months from the date of filing of appeal by the petitioner, without going into the question of limitation. The writ application is disposed of with the aforesaid observations and directions. Pradeep/ ( J. N. Singh,J.)