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9. In the circular at Annexure­A, it has been stated  that   necessary   guidelines   for   recruitment   of   ex­ C/SCA/15245/2012 JUDGMENT apprentices   in   the   'data   bank'   having   passed   NCVT  examination will be issued by considering all aspects  i.e.   physical   fitness,   requirement   of   updated  technical   knowledge   etc.   and   till   that   time   the  existing policy of Vidyut Sahayaks were to remain in  force.  

10. By   the   impugned   circular   dated   16.03.2013,   the  NCVT passed ex­apprentices whose names appeared in the  list as on 01.06.2011 and completed apprenticeship  on  or before 01.06.2011 are made eligible for 'One Time  selection procedure to be carried out for employment  as Vidyut Sahayak.   The one time selection procedure  comprises of various tests including written test and  of preparing select list based on merits to be valid  for one year.

14. The petitions are opposed by affidavit in reply  filed in different petitions which shall be referred  later on when required.  

15. I have heard learned advocates for the parties.  

C/SCA/15245/2012 JUDGMENT

16. Learned   advocate   Mr.T.R.Mishra   appearing   in  Special   Civil   Application   No.15245   of   2012,   SCA  No.8807 of 2013,  SCA No.7113 of 2013 and SCA No.9907  of 2013 for the petitioners submitted that the Board  having first agreed by way of settlement, as back as  in the year 1988 and further settlement in the year  2003 for giving appointments to the apprentices from  the   'data   bank'   maintained   by   the   Board   and   the  respondents Vij companies, no unilaterally change in  the   settlement   is   permissible.   Mr.Mishra   submitted  that the apprentices who are listed in the 'data bank'  are well­trained and have passed NCVT examination and  considered eligible for being appointed under Vidyut  Sahayak scheme and if any change is to be made in the  settlement   for   Vidyut   Sahayak   scheme   affecting   the  interest   of   the   apprentices,   prior   notice   of   change  under section 9A of the I.D. Act was required to be  issued to the unions.  Mr.Mishra submitted that before  MOU was executed between the Unions and the Board for  Vidyut   Sahayak   scheme,   the   Board   had   already   given  notice of change under Section 9A of the I.D. Act and  therefore, if any further change is to be made in such  scheme, similar notice of change under Section 9A was  C/SCA/15245/2012 JUDGMENT required to be given to the unions.  Learned advocate  Mr.Mishra   submitted   that   Clause   8,   9   and   11   of   the  fourth schedule of Section 9A of the I.D. Act would  cover   the   changes   made   by   the   respondents   in   the  earlier settlement and therefore it was mandatory for  the respondents to give notice under Section 9A of the  Act and in absence of such notice to the Unions, the  impugned circular would not stand scrutiny of law and  the old settlement and the circular of the year 2003  would be required to be followed for the apprentices  listed in the 'data bank'.  Learned advocate Mr.Mishra  submitted   that   the   written   test   contemplated   in   the  impugned   circular   is   nothing   but   a   re­test   of   NCVT  which   all   the   apprentices   in   the   'data   bank'   have  passed. Therefore, there is no rational or logic for  again asking such apprentices to pass the written test  just because the respondents are of the view that on  account of passage of time, the apprentices would have  forgotten   the   requisite   knowledge   acquired   by   NCVT  test.

21. Mr.Yagnik   submitted   that   all   the   apprentices  listed   in   the   'data   bank'   have   already   passed   NCVT  Examination   and   thus,   stand   fully   qualified   to   be  appointed as Vidyut Sahayak­helper as per the policy  prevailing   till   the   impugned   circular   was   issued.  Mr.Yagnik submitted that curriculum for written test  include the course contents of NCVT Examination which  the   apprentices   in   data   bank   have   already   passed.  There   is   no   logic   or   rational   for   such   repeat  C/SCA/15245/2012 JUDGMENT examination of NCVT. Mr.Yagnik submitted that the work  to be performed by the helper would not require any  further skill as on the basis of NCVT Examination the  apprentices   have   been   employed   as   Vidyut   Sahayak­ helper right from 2003 till impugned circular came to  be   introduced.   Mr.Yagnik   submitted   that   the  petitioners are not opposing to physical fitness test  and other criteria mentioned in the impugned circular,  but   since,   they   do   not   see   any   rational   or   logic  providing   for   written   test   for   the   apprentices   who  have passed NCVT examination and for introducing one  time   selection   procedure   permanently   scraping   the  Vidyut Sahayak scheme for apprentices, the petitions  are   filed   for   enforcement   of   the   rights   of   the  apprentices under the settlement of 2003.  

25. To   counter   the   above   arguments   made   by   learned  advocates   for   the   petitioners,   learned   advocate  Mr.M.D.Pandya appearing for the respondents submitted  that   there   is   total  fallacy  in   the   arguments   of  learned advocates for the petitioners about violation  of Section 9A of the I.D. Act and Article 14 and 16 of  the Constitution of India.   Mr.Pandya submitted that  the   respondents   being   the   employer   are   within   their  rights to provide for necessary eligibility criteria  as   per   their   requirement   for   different   posts.  Mr.Pandya   submitted   that   the   petitioner   Unions   are  espousing the cause of apprentices who have no right  to  be  employed  unless   there   is   a  specific  agreement  with them for their employments with the respondents.  Mr.Pandya   submitted   that   what  was  agreed   by  the   MOU  C/SCA/15245/2012 JUDGMENT was to introduce Vidyut Sahayak scheme for different  posts including the post of helper remained vacant as  a   measure   of   20%   reduction   in   the   staff   as   per   the  instructions   of   the   State   Government   by   prescribing  mode   of   filling   such  posts  with   necessary  terms  and  conditions   for   the   persons   to   be   engaged   as   Vidyut  Sahayak.     Mr.Pandya   submitted   that   simply   because   a  particular mode of filling the post of Vidyut Sahayak­ helper was provided in the MOU between the Unions and  Board,   that   can   never   take   away   the   rights   of   the  respondents   from   providing   further   eligibility  criteria   and   limiting   the   Vidyut   Sahayak   scheme   for  any   of   the   categories   of   the   posts.     Mr.Pandya  submitted that as recorded in MOU, the Unions, agreed  not   to   raise   any   dispute   in   regard   to   the   scheme.  Mr.Pandya   submitted   that   after   the   MOU   was   entered  between   the   Unions   and   the   Board,   the   concerned  authorities   of   the   respondents   found   from   the  experience of implementing the Vidyut Sahayak scheme  for apprentices that there was need to have efficient  persons for services to be provided to the consumers  and   to   end   the   practice   of   maintaining   data   bank.  Mr.Pandya submitted that with the passage of  time it  C/SCA/15245/2012 JUDGMENT was   observed   that   the   apprentices   from   'data   bank'  were offered employment at such a point of time when  they   were   either   found   over   aged   or   lacking   in  required knowledge and physical fitness and therefore  after due deliberation and discussion during the Apex  co­ordination committee meeting held in the Month of  November   2010,   it   was   decided   that   no   'data   bank'  henceforth   shall   be   maintained   for   engagement   of  apprentices   as   Vidyut   Sahayak.     Mr.Pandya   submitted  that however as regards ex­apprentices, it was decided  that their cases shall be examined by considering all  aspects   of   age,   physical   fitness,   requirement   of  updated   technical   knowledge   etc   and     the   concerned  authorities   of   the   companies   of   the   different   zones  were   accordingly   intimated   by   circular   dated  01.06.2011   that   necessary   guidelines   will   be   issued  for   ex­apprentices   in   due   course  and   till  that   time  the   old   policy   was   to   be   followed.     Mr.Pandya  submitted that now by impugned circular it is decided  to   have   one   time   selection   by   fixing   eligibility  criteria and to prepare select list to be operated for  a period of one year.  Mr.Pandya submitted that if the  petitioners   have   no   objections  as   regards   physical  C/SCA/15245/2012 JUDGMENT fitness   test   and   test   for   knowledge   of   electrical  equipments,   they   are   to   just   undergo   written   test.  Mr.Pandya   submitted   that   the   purpose   for   providing  written test is to ensure that the apprentices who had  passed   NCVT  long   before,   are   still   updated   with  the  knowledge   required   for   the   posts.     Such   being   the  screening   test   to   find   out   the   meritorious   and  efficient   persons,   the   petitioners   have   no   right   to  challenge   the   action   of   taking   the   tests   by   the  respondents.   Mr.Pandya submitted that in these days  of   modernization,   efficiency   in   performing   work   at  every level is sine­qua­non for which screening test  is   provided   and   there   is   no   question   of   creating  separate   class   amongst   the   ex­apprentices   and  depriving   them   of   equal   opportunities   for   public  employment.