30-05-2025
HC upholds new recruitment rules for ITI jr instructor
Jaipur:
Rajasthan High Court
has dismissed a series of petitions filed by guest faculty instructors who challenged amended recruitment rules for 1,821 posts of junior instructor in govt-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).
The decision has cleared the way for the recruitment process to continue.
The court upheld Rajasthan govt's decision to mandate National Craft Instructor Certificate (NCIC) under Crafts Instructor Training Scheme (CITS) as a necessary qualification. The court called it fair, legal, and consistent with Union govt's policy.
The case stemmed from a notification issued Sept 1, 2023, followed by a recruitment advertisement on March 11, 2024, by Rajasthan Staff Selection Board (RSSB).
The petitioners, currently working as guest faculty in ITIs, argued that the new requirement for NCIC was introduced without enough time for them to complete the year-long certification. They claimed the change was abrupt, lacked legislative backing, and conflicted with a Union govt office memorandum dated June 30, 2023.
They also said the move violated their fundamental rights.
Addl advocate general Vigyan Shah, who represented the Rajasthan govt, backed by the Union govt and the RSSB, argued that the new rules were lawful and aligned with national vocational training standards.
The govt cited guidelines from the National Council for Vocational Training, which recommended the NCIC since 2014.
The division bench of Justice Inderjeet Singh and Justice Anand Sharma concluded that Rajasthan govt had the authority to amend the recruitment rules. The court said the rules were not arbitrary, nor did they conflict with the Union govt's guidelines. It also noted that the rules provided flexibility in allowing candidates to obtain certification after selection.
