R. Kavitha v. Teachers Recruitment Board, Rep. By its Chairman
2014-07-03
S.NAGAMUTHU
body2014
DigiLaw.ai
Judgment This writ petition has been listed before me as a specially ordered case on the orders of the Hon'ble Acting Chief Justice dated 25.06.2014. 2. The Teachers Recruitment Board, Government of Tamil Nadu, conducted Tamil Nadu Teachers' Eligibility Test-2013, as per the Notification No.3 of 2013, on 22.5.2013. The petitioner participated in the said examination. Her Roll Number is 13TE56210104. The question papers were in four series. The questions were of objective type. The petitioner was supplied with 'A' series question paper for Paper - II. She has secured 87 marks. According to the petitioner, for question Nos.2, 3, 4, 5, 64 & 95 though, she had answered rightly, she has not been awarded each one mark for the said questions. 3. I have heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Special Government Pleader appearing for the respondents and I have also perused the records carefully. 4. It is brought to my notice by the learned Special Government Pleader appearing for the respondents that the correctness of the said question Nos.2,3,4,64 & 95 have been decided by this Court in earlier writ petitions in W.P(MD) Nos.18223, 18334, 18394, 18576 & 18225 of 2013. In view of the said admitted position, no further adjudication is required in respect of the key answers for these questions. 5. Now, what remains to be adjudicated upon is question No.5 in Paper – II 'A' Series. Question No.5 reads as follows:- “5. Naming apple as fruit and distinguishing it from other fruits belongs to what kind of formation in Gagne theory?” A) Concept formation B) Associative formation C) Visual formation D) Verbal formation” 6. According to the Teachers Recruitment Board, option “A” (Concept formation) is the right answer. But, according to the petitioner, option “B” (Associative formation) is the right answer. Sl.No. Learning outcomes Example of human performance made possible by the related learning outcome 1 ............ 2 Intellectual Skills (i) Discrimination (ii) Concept formation Distinguishing printed letter 'd' from 'b' Naming apple as fruit and distinguishing it from other fruits. 7. Today, three experts in the said subject are present before this Court. This Court had the benefit of hearing them also. According to them, the said question relates to the concept of formation. According to the experts, naming apple as fruit and distinguishing it from other fruits is a concept formation.
7. Today, three experts in the said subject are present before this Court. This Court had the benefit of hearing them also. According to them, the said question relates to the concept of formation. According to the experts, naming apple as fruit and distinguishing it from other fruits is a concept formation. This is supported by the book titled as 'Advanced Educational Psychology' authored by Mr. S.K. Chatterjee. In the said book in Table 13.1 illustrating Gagne's Outcomes of Learning it is stated as follows:- 8. But, according to the learned counsel for the petitioner, option 'B' (Associative formation) is the right answer for the said question. To support his contention, he relied on a book Psychology and Learning Human Development authored by Prof. K.Nagarajhan and Deva Sitaraman. 9. But, according to the experts, Associative formation means, combination of two ideas. But here, in the said question, there are no two ideas which are made in combination. 10. In my considered opinion, going by the opinion of the experts and the book titled as 'Advanced Educational Psychology' authored by Mr. S.K. Chatterjee, I hold that option 'A' Concept formation is the right answer for the said question. 11. At this juncture, I have to say that the power of this Court to interfere with the decision of experts in respect of key answers has been elaborately dealt with in a number of judgments of the Hon'ble Supreme Court, about which, I need not elaborate. I deem it suffice to refer to the judgment of the Honourable Supreme Court in Kanpur University vs. Samir Gupta and Others reported in (1983) 4 Supreme Court Cases 309, wherein the Supreme Court has held that if the key answer is demonstrably wrong, then only, this Court has got power to interfere with the same. Applying the said decision, we have to examine this case as to whether the key answer set by the respondents is demonstrably wrong. Here, in this case, the petitioner is not able to demonstrate that the key answer pertaining to question No.5 is wrong. 12. In view of all the above, the writ petition fails and accordingly, the same is dismissed. No costs. Interim order already granted is vacated. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petitions are closed.