The High Court on Monday stayed a notification of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj for appointing assistant engineers and junior engineers. A division bench, comprising Justice N Kumar and Justice Pradeep D Waingankar, granted the stay on the December 7, 2015 notification for eight weeks.

The petitioner, Vinay Kumar R, a BE from the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) had approached the court aggrieved by the method adopted by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj for appointing assistant engineers and junior engineers.
The petitioner submitted that while a majority of autonomous colleges have adopted the grade point system, Visvesvaraya Technological University , which has more than 175 colleges, has adopted the marks system.

The petitioner contended that though a majority of the students come under the marks system, students from the grade point system are being favoured by the department under the direct recruitment process.

‘Improper recruitment’
The petitioner has contended that because of the unscientific and improper recruitment process, he and thousands of students from Visvesvaraya Technological University  have been rendered jobless despite being qualified for the posts.

The petitioner has sought a stay and the striking down of the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Engineering Department (Recruitment to the cadres of Assistant Engineer and Junior Engineers) (Special) Rule 2015 and the notification dated December 7, 2015.

The bench granted a stay and adjourned the hearing for eight weeks.