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[Agricultural Bio-Technology] is equivalent qualification to the B.Sc. Agri. mentioned in the advertisement.

Supreme Court in the case of State of Rajasthan and others The Vs. Lata Arun3, after considering the ratio laid down in the earlier pronouncement of the Supreme Court of which reference is made in para 10 and 11 of the said Judgment, held that, the prescribed eligibility qualification for admission to a course or for recruitment to or promotion in service are matters to be considered by the appropriate authority. It is not for Courts to decide whether a particular educational qualification should or should not be accepted as equivalent to the qualification prescribed by the authority.

34] In the present case, admittedly, the petitioners have not challenged the advertisement that, it omitted to mention equivalent qualification B.Sc. [Agricultural Bio-

Technology], for the post of Agricultural Field Officer [Scale-

I]. The petitioners participated in the selection process in pursuance of the advertisement wherein qualification possessed by the petitioners is not mentioned as prescribed 6 [2015] 8 SCC 484 8030.2015WP+.odt qualification for the post of Agricultural Field Officer [Scale-

I]. The Supreme Court while considering the similar facts situation as has arisen in the present Petitions, in the case of Prakash Chand Meena and others Vs. State of Rajasthan and others [cited supra] in para 9 held thus:

9. The candidates who were aware of the advertisement and did not have the qualification of CPED also had two options, either to apply only for PTI Gr. II if they had the necessary qualification for that post or to challenge the advertisement that it omitted to mention equivalent or higher qualification along with qualification of CPED for the post of PTI Gr. III. Having not challenged the advertisement and having applied for the other post, they could not have subsequently claimed or be granted eligibility on the basis of equivalence clarified or declared subsequently by the State Government. In the matter of eligibility qualification, the equivalent qualification must be recognised as such in the recruitment rules or government order existing on or before the initiation of recruitment process. In the present case, this process was initiated through advertisement inviting application which did not indicate that equivalent or higher qualification holders were eligible to apply nor were the equivalent qualifications reflected in the recruitment rules or government orders of the relevant time.

Technology] is going to be treated as equivalent qualification to B.Sc. Agri., they might have participated in selection process. There is also considerable force in the argument advanced by the learned counsel appearing for the respondents that, some of candidates, who possessed exact qualification mentioned in the advertisement, to some extent are deprived from their selection due to 8030.2015WP+.odt selection of the petitioners on the post of Agricultural Field Officer.