Saturday, January 21, 2017

[Read Judgment] Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) and Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM) Are One and Same: Kerala HC

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM

                            PRESENT:

   THE HONOURABLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE MR.MOHAN M.SHANTANAGOUDAR
                                &
          THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ANIL K.NARENDRAN

  WEDNESDAY, THE 11TH DAY OF JANUARY 2017/21ST POUSHA, 19382017

           WA.No. 46 of 2017 ()  IN WP(C).28538/2016
           ------------------------------------------
    AGAINST THE JUDGMENT IN WP(C) 28538/2016 DATED 24-11-2016
                           ----------

APPELLANT(S)/1ST RESPONDENT IN THE WPC :-
--------------------------------------

          THE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER, CANARA BANK,
          RECRUITMENT CELL, HUMAN RESOURCE WING,
          HEAD OFFICE, JEEWAN PRAKASH BUILDING,
          113/1 JC ROAD, BANGALORE - 560 002.

          BY ADVS.SRI.M.GOPIKRISHNAN NAMBIAR
                   SRI.P.GOPINATH MENON
                   SRI.K.JOHN MATHAI
                   SRI.JOSON MANAVALAN
                   SRI.KURYAN THOMAS

RESPONDENT(S)/PETITIONER, 2ND AND 3RD RESPONDETNS, ADDL.4TH
RESPONDENTS IN THE WPC :-
------------------------------------------------------------

     1.   HARIDEV.S, S/O.SAHADEVAN, VALIYAKULANGARA,
          CMC - 20, CHERTHALA, POST CHERTHALA,
          PIN : 688 524, ALAPPUZHA DISTRICT.

     2.   CHAIRMAN,
          INSTITUTE OF BANKING PERSONNEL SELECTION,
          IBPS HOUSE, NEAR THAKUR POLYTECHNIC, 90 FEET,
          DP ROAD, OFF. WESTERN EXPRESS HIGHWAY, P.B.NO.8587,
          KANDIVALI (E), MUMBAI - 400 101, INDIA.

     3.   UNION OF INDIA
          REPRESENTED BY SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT,
          MINISTRY OF FINANCE, NORTH BLOCK,
          CENTRAL SECRETARIAT, NEW DELHI - 110 011.

     4.   RAJAGIRI BUSINESS SCHOOL
          RAJAGIRIVALLEY P.O., KAKKANAD, KOCHI.

          BY SRI.T.ASAFALI
          BY SRI.K.R.RAJKUMAR, ADDL.CGSC
          BY SRI.TONY GEORGE KANNANTHANAM

     THIS WRIT APPEAL HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 11-01-2017,
THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:



              MOHAN M. SHANTANAGOUDAR, CJ
                                     &
                     ANIL K. NARENDRAN, J.
             ---------------------------------------------------
                         W.A. No.46 of 2017
                     ----------------------------------
            Dated this the 11th day of January 2017


                           J U D G M E N T

Mohan M. Shantanagoudar, CJ

     The judgment dated 24.11.2016 passed in W.P.(C) No.28538

of 2016 is the subject matter of this appeal.

           The only question to be decided in this appeal is as to

whether the Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management

(PGDBM) is equivalent to Post Graduate Diploma in Management

(PGDM).

     2.    The 2nd respondent published Ext.P6 notification for the

online examination for the Common Recruitment Process for

Recruitment of Specialist Officers in Participating Organisations

for various posts including I.T.Officer, Agricultural Field Officer,

Rajbhasha Adhikari, Law Officer, Marketing Officer etc.            The

Participating Organisations are nationalised Banks, including

Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India,

Andhra Bank etc. The qualifications prescribed for the post of

Marketing Officer (Scale-I) is Graduation plus Full Time 2 years

PGDBA/PGDBM with specialisation in Marketing, etc.

W.A. No.46 of 2017

                                -: 2 :-

            The 1st respondent has obtained PGDM from the 4th

respondent, Rajagiri Business School and the same is approved by

the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Government

of India, as is clear from Ext.P2 certificate produced in the writ

petition. Armed with the said certificate, he has applied for the

post of Marketing Officer in Canara Bank. Though his candidature

was provisionally allowed for the post of Marketing Officer (Scale-

I) in Canara Bank, the same came to be cancelled subsequently as

per Ext.P10 dated 29.6.2016. The said order was questioned by

the 1st respondent before this Court in the aforesaid writ petition,

which was allowed by the impugned judgment.

      3.    Learned counsel appearing for the appellant Bank

submits that 'PGDBM' is different from 'PGDM' obtained by the 1st

respondent and therefore, since there is no declaration of

equivalence between the two Post Graduate Degrees, it is not open

for the 1st respondent to apply for the said post.     Hence, the

Canara Bank is justified in passing Ext.P10 order cancelling the

provisional allotment.

      4.    The said submission is opposed by the learned counsel

for the 1st respondent, who draws attention of this Court to

Ext.P16 issued by the AICTE.          He argued in support of the

W.A. No.46 of 2017

                                 -: 3 :-

judgment of the learned Single Judge. It is also submitted that

since the other Banks, which are also parties to the common

recruitment process, including Syndicate Bank, Bank of Baroda,

etc. have accepted 'PGDM' degree for the concerned post, there is

no reason as to why the Canara Bank made excuses in not

accepting the candidates having 'PGDM' qualification.

            Ext.P16 resolves the dispute fully.        Ext.P16 dated

10.8.2016 is a certificate issued by the AICTE, which clarifies that

the 'PGDBM' approved by the AICTE till 2006-'07 was renamed as

'PGDM' in 2007-'08, on the basis of recommendations of All India

Board of Management Studies.          Thus, it is clear that the very

course, 'PGDBM' is renamed as 'PGDM' in 2007-'08. Since the 1st

respondent has obtained the said degree after 2008, the

nomenclature of his degree is 'PGDM', that is; Post Graduate

Degree in Management.

      5.    Since Ext.P16 makes it amply clear that 'PGDBM' is

nothing but 'PGDM' from 2007 onwards, the learned Single Judge

is justified in setting aside Ext.P10 order passed by the appellant

Bank, cancelling the allotment given to the 1st respondent.

W.A. No.46 of 2017

                                   -: 4 :-

              Hence, no interference is called for. The appeal fails

and the same stands dismissed. The appellant Bank shall comply

with the judgment of the learned Single Judge within one month

from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment.



                                              Sd/-
                            MOHAN M. SHANTANAGOUDAR
                                          CHIEF JUSTICE


                                              Sd/-
                                    ANIL K. NARENDRAN
                                             JUDGE

                               //TRUE COPY//




                              P.A. TO JUDGE




Jvt/11.1.2017




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