Equivalence of educational qualifications for recruitment is a policy matter beyond the scope of judicial review.

The applicant applied for the post of Health and Malaria Inspector Gr. III under Centralized Employment Notice (CEN) No. 04/2014

The prescribed qualification was a B.Sc. in Chemistry plus a one-year Diploma in Health/Sanitary Inspector

The applicant, possessing a B.Sc. and a one-year Diploma in Nutrition and Health Education, successfully cleared the written examination but was rejected during document verification on 19.12.2017 because his diploma was not in the required field

The applicant challenged this rejection, asserting that his diploma covered public health and hygiene and that similarly situated individuals had been appointed in other railway divisions

1. Whether the applicant's one-year Diploma in Nutrition and Health Education is equivalent to the requisite one-year Diploma in Health/Sanitary Inspector for appointment to the post of Health and Malaria Inspector Gr. III

The prescription of qualifications is a matter of recruitment policy and the State, as an employer, is entitled to determine eligibility conditions

Judicial review cannot be used to expand the ambit of prescribed qualifications or determine the equivalence of qualifications, as these are administrative functions

Zahoor Ahmad Rather and Ors. Vs. Sheikh Imtiyaz Dar and Ors. (2019) 2 SCC 404

The Tribunal examined the curriculum of both courses and determined that a Diploma in Health and Sanitary Inspector focuses on environmental hygiene, waste management, and legal compliance, whereas the Diploma in Nutrition and Health Education (DNHE) focuses on community nutrition and diet planning

Applying the principle from Zahoor Ahmad Rather, the Tribunal held that it could not exercise judicial review to declare these distinct qualifications as equivalent

The court found that despite the applicant studying "Public Health and Hygiene" as a subject, the overall focus of his diploma was in a different field than that required by the recruitment notice (CEN-04/2014)

The Original Application was dismissed as it lacked merit

No order as to costs was made