06 October 2011 Education >> Miscellaneous  

Three Junior Engineers (JEs) in Assam's Public Works Department (PWD) have secured a court order guaranteeing their chance for promotion to Assistant Engineer (AE) based on their educational qualifications. The case hinged on a key interpretation of the Assam Engineering (Public Works Department) Service Rules, 1978.

The crux of the issue was Rule 11(4)(c) of the service rules, which allows promotion of JEs with a graduate engineering degree to AE. The department, however, argued that this provision only applied to JEs who acquired the degree after joining service, not those who possessed it before becoming JEs.

The JEs challenged this interpretation, arguing that the rule itself doesn't differentiate between when the degree is obtained. The court agreed with the JEs, stating that Rule 11(4)(c) offers a faster track promotion for qualified engineers regardless of when they earned their graduate qualification.

This decision is a win for JEs who possess a graduate degree alongside their diploma qualification. The court order mandates the department to consider these JEs for promotion to AE positions, subject to available vacancies.