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(III) If there is more than one candidate in a particular group in the order of preference indicated above, the selection shall be based on Rank at EAMCET-91.

(IV) Candidates seeking admission under this category should submit documentary evidence in support of their claim from competent Defence Authority.

2. The father of the petitioner submitted a representation dated 17-8-1991 to the Director, Sainik Welfare, Hyderabad requesting that the Vishisht Seva Medal shall be included in the list of Gallantry Awards mentioned in the prospectus. The Director, Sainik Welfare in turn addressed a letter dated 17-8-1991 to the Principal Secretary to Government of Andhra Pradesh requesting to issue necessary insfructions to the Health University for inclusion of Vishisht Seva Medal in the list of Gallantry Awards mentioned in the prospectus for admission into first year M.B.B.S. course. On the very same day, the Director has written another letter to the Deputy Secretary to Government of Andhra Pradesh, Medical & Health Department stating that as per Appendix 'C' to Army Order 59/79, Vishisht Seva Medal was listed as distinguished service-devotion to duty award and did not fall under the category of Gallantry Awards enumerated in Appendix-3 to that Army Order. Therefore, he requested that his earlier letter for inclusion of Vishisht Seva Medal in the list of Gallantry Awards shall be treated as cancelled. At this stage, this writ petition has been filed seeking appropriate writ directing the University of Health Sciences to include Vishisht Seva Medal as item 7(a) in paragraph E(i)(c) of the prospectus issued for admission into medical colleges in the State.

2) Ati Vishisht Seva Medal

3) Vishisht Seva Medal

4) Sena Medal

5) Mention in Despatches

6) CAS Commendation Card.

8. Though the Army Order may be stated to be in the nature of administrative instructions and does not have statutory force, it clearly demarcates the Gallantry Awards and the distinguished service/devotion to duty awards into two separate categories. In the instant case, it will not be proper for us to embark upon an enquiry whether the enumeration of the awards into two categories in the Army Order is valid or not. We have to proceed on the basis that the Gallantry awards constitute a distinct category different from the distinguished service/devotion to duty awards.

9. The prospectus issued by the University of Health Sciences specifically mentions in the order of preference that under category (c), the children of Ex-servicemen and Armed personnel who are in receipt of Gallantry Awards mentioned therein will be considered. The Gallantry Awards mentioned in the prospectus are identically the same as mentioned in Appendix 'B' to Army Order 59/79. Therefore, it cannot be said that the list contains any award other than a Gallantry Award.

10. However, it is vehemently urged by the learned Counsel for the petitioner that as mentioned by Gen. A. S. Vaidya, if a Vishisht Seva Medal is awarded for outstanding and exemplary devotion to duty, some times almost amounting to gallantry and if the Vishisht Seva Medal stands at a higher place over some of the Gallantry Awards in the order of precedence determined in the notification issued by the Secretariat of the President of India, there is no justification whatsoever in excluding Vishisht Seva Medal from the list of Gallantry Awards. It may be noticed that what Gen. A. S. Vaidya stated in his letter dated 6-10-1985 was that 'Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Modal winners are the exceptional few who have showed outstanding and exemplary devotion to duty, sometimes almost amounting to Gallantry but cannot be given Gallantry Awards'. The learned Counsel has also drawn our attention to Regulation 717 specifying the order of preference of awards. Under this order, Vishisht Sewa Medal occupies a place higher than a Police Medal for gallantry. Thus Vishisht Seva Medal is not equivalent to a Gallantry Award even according to Gen. A. S. Vaidya. The notification dated 16-6-1976 issued by the Secretariat of the President of India determining the order of precedence relates to only wearing of various medals and decorations and it does not specify the categories of Gallantry Awards and distinguished service/devotion to duty awards. Therefore, in our view, neither the letter of Gen. A. S. Vaidya nor the notification issued by the Secretariat of the President of India throws any light on the issue under consideration. So also, the order of preference of awards specified under Regulation 717 does not mention as to what awards fall under the category of Gallantry Awards and what awards fall under the category of distinguished service/devotion to duty awards. When the prospectus clearly mentioned that only the children of Armed personnel who are in receipt of Gallantry Awards mentioned under category (c) will be eligible for consideration and the Gallantry Awards have been enumerated therein, which are identically the same as mentioned in Appendix 'B' to Army Order 59/79, it would not be proper for us to direct the University to include Vishisht Seva Medal, which falls under the category of distinguished service/devotion to duty awards in the category of Gallantry Awards.

12. It is, however, submitted by the learned Counsel for the petitioner that the classification made between Gallantry Awards and meritorious service/devotion to duty awards is based on mini-classification of micro-distinctions which is not envisaged under Art. 14 of the Constitution of India. In support of this contention, the learned Counsel has placed reliance on the decisions of tin Supreme Court in State of Jammu& Kashmi v. T. N. Khosa, ATR 1974 SC 2; Mohd. Shuja Ali v. Union of India, ; and A. S. Iyer v. V. Balasubramanyam, . As we have already mentioned, as per Army Order 59/79, a clear distinction has been made between Gallantry Awards and distinguished service/devotion to duty awards. The University of Health Sciences wanted to give preference under category (c) only to the children of Armed personnel who are in receipt of Gallantry Awards. In our view, the two categories of awards fall into two distinct and different classes. It cannot be said that the classification made between Gallantry Award winners and distinguished service/devotion to duty award winners is not based on intelligible differentia.