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CASE NO.:

Appeal (civil) 8599 of 2003

PETITIONER:

The Secretary,Malankara Syrian Catholic College

RESPONDENT:

T.Jose & Ors.

DATE OF JUDGMENT: 27/11/2006

BENCH:

H.K. SEMA & R.V. RAVEENDRAN

JUDGMENT:

J U D G M E N T

(With CA Nos. 8600/2003 & 8576/2003)

R.V. RAVEENDRAN, J.

These appeals by special leave arise from the judgment

dated 5.6.2003 of the High Court of Kerala in O.P.

No.10111/2000 and connected cases. As these appeals involve

questions which are analogous, they are heard and disposed of

by this common judgment. As the ranks of the parties vary, they

will be referred to by their abbreviated names.

Facts in CA Nos. 8599 and 8600 of 2003 :

2. The Malankara Syrian Catholic College Association of

Archidiocese at Trivandrum is a Society registered under the

Kerala Literacy, Scientific and Charitable Socieities

Registration Act, 1955. It is a minority organisaion and an

Educational Agency (for short 'the Society'). It has established

and runs several private colleges in Kerala. The colleges are

managed by a 'Managing Council' (for short 'the

management') appointed by the Educational Agency. The

Society has appointed a Manager for the colleges under its

management, who implements the decisions of the

management. Mar Ivanios College ('college' for short) is one

of the colleges run by the said Educational Agency. The said

college is an aided private minority institution affiliated to

Kerala University under the Kerala University Act, 1974 ('Act"

for short). Educational instruction is provided in the college, in

accordance with the provisions of the statutes, Ordinances and

Regulations made under the Act. Each of the colleges run by

the Society is headed by a Principal, who is responsible for the

functional efficiency, quality of education and discipline.

3. The post of Principal of the college fell vacant on

31.3.2000. The Manager issued an order dated 27.3.2000 giving

charge of the post of Principal and Drawing & Disbursing

Officer ('DDO' for short) to Rev. Daniel Kuzhithaakthil, a

lecturer in the college. The said order was approved by the

Vice-Chancellor of the University by order dated 15.4.2000.

The order dated 27.03.2000 was challenged by one of the

Lecturers - Dr. Varghese M. Mathunny in O.P. No.10111/2000,

wherein an interim order was passed restraining Rev. Daniel

from taking charge as Principal. Another Senior Lecturer of the

college, Dr. P.V. Thomas also challenged the order dated

27.03.2000 by filing O.P. No. 14337/2000. An interim order

was issued in that case on 24.5.2000, restraining Rev. Daniel

from functioning as the Principal or DDO.

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4. In view of the interim stay preventing Rev. Daniel from

acting as the Principal and DDO, the Management made an

interim arrangement by appointing T. Jose, a senior lecturer

in the College, to discharge the duties of Principal, pending

regular appointment to the post. On 5.6.2000, the High Court

modified the interim order and gave liberty to the Management

to make appointment to the post of Principal on regular basis.

In pursuance of it, on 6.6.2000, the Management appointed

Rev. Daniel as the Principal on regular basis.

5. The appointment of Rev. Daniel as Principal on 6.6.2000

on regular basis was challenged by T.Jose, (claiming to be the

senior most among the eligible and fit lecturers) in Appeal

No.5/2000 before the Kerala University Appellate Tribunal,

raising two contentions : (i) that Rev. Daniel was ineligible to

be appointed as Principal as he did not process the requisite

qualifications for the post; and (ii) that the appointment was

violative of Section 57(3) of the Act, which required the post of

Principal, when filled by promotion, to be made on the basis of

seniority-cum-fitness. The Tribunal, by an order dated

20.12.2000, held that Rev. Daniel fulfilled the eligibility

criteria, but allowed the appeal holding that the appointment of

Rev. Daniel as Principal violated Section 57(3) of the Act. The

Tribunal directed the Manager to make a fresh appointment in

accordance with law. The said order of the Tribunal was

challenged by Rev. Daniel and the Society in O.P.

No.3015/2001 and O.P. No. 3742/2001 contending that Section

57(3) of the Act was invalid and inapplicable in respect of

minority institutions, as it interfered with the right of a

minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of

their choice and thereby violated Article 30(1) of the

Constitution of India. T. Jose , the appellant before the

Tribunal, also challenged the order of the Tribunal in O.P.

No.10721/2001, as he was aggrieved by the finding of the

Tribunal that Rev. Daniel possessed the qualifications for

appointment to the post of Principal.

6. The said five writ petitions were heard together and

disposed of by a common judgment dated 5.6.2003. The High

Court rejected the contention of the Educational Agency and

Rev. Daniel that section 57(3) of the Act was violative of

Article 30(1). The High Court held that the said Section applied

to minority institutions also having regard to that Section, the

seniormost from among the eligible and fit lecturers had to be

appointed as the Principal. It held that Rev. Daniel was not the

senior-most among the eligible and fit lecturers of the college

and therefore his appointment could not be sustained.

Consequently, the High Court rejected O.P. Nos.3015/2001 and

3742/2001 filed by Rev. Daniel and the Society O.P.

No.10111/2000 filed by Dr. Varghese M. Mathunny was

dismissed as having become infructuous as he had retired on

31.5.2001 and as he had not challenged the order dated

6.6.2000 appointing Rev. Daniel as Principal. O.P.

No.10721/2001 filed by T.Jose was allowed. Even though

T.Jose had also retired in the meanwhile on 31.3.2001, the High

Court directed that his claim for promotion as Principal shall be

considered with effect from the date (6.6.2000) when Rev.

Daniel was promoted, with all consequential financial benefits.

Similarly, O.P. No.14337/2000 filed by Dr. P V Thomas was

also allowed with a direction that his claim for appointment as

Principal shall be considered with effect from 1.4.2001 with

consequential benefits.

7. Feeling aggrieved by the said Judgment dated 5.6.2003,

the Society and Rev. Daniel have filed C.A. No.8599/2003 and

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C.A.No.8600/2003 respectively challenging the dismissal of

their writ petitions OP No.3742/2001 and OP No.3015/2001.

Re : Facts in CA 8576/2003 :

8. St. Gregorious College, another aided minority

educational institution, appointed P.G. Thomas Pannicker as

Principal by order dated 25.9.2002. The said appointment was

challenged by Thomas Lukose before the Kerala University

Appellate Tribunal in Appeal No. 15/2002. The Tribunal

allowed the said appeal by order dated 30.1.2003 and set aside

the appointment of P.G. Thomas Pannicker as Principal and

directed fresh selection. That was challenged by the Manager of

St. Gregorious College and P.L. Thomas Pannicker, in O.P.

No.6621/2003. The said petition was disposed of by the High

Court along with the five petitions relating to Rev. Daniel (O.P.

No.10111/2000 and connected cases) by its common Judgment

dated 5.6.2003, upholding the order of the Tribunal and

directing the college Management to make a fresh selection in

accordance with section 57(3) of the Act. The order rejecting

O.P. No.6621/2003 is challenged by the Manager of St.

Gregorious College and Thomas Pannicker in CA

No.8576/2003.

The Issue

9. The High Court relying on the decision of the Eleven-

Judge Bench of this Court in T M A Pai Foundation v. State of

Karnataka [2002 (8) SCC 481] has held that receipt of aid by a

minority institution removes the protection under Article 30(1),

by taking away its right to claim immunity from interference

and therefore all regulations made by the State, governing the

manner of making appointments and removal, as also the

conditions of service of Principals and Lecturers, will be

binding on such aided institution. The High Court held that aid

carries the 'price' of surrender of a part of its freedom and

independence in matters of administration. As a consequence,

it held that Section 57(3) of the Act providing that

appointments of Principal should be on the basis of seniority-

cum-fitness, is valid and binding on minority institutions.

10. The appellants contend that the right to appoint Principal

and teachers is the most important facet of minority's "right to

administer" under Article 30(1) of the Constitution. They

submit that receipt of aid by minority institutions, does not, in

any way, fetter or abridge their constitutional right to

administer educational institutions, and therefore Section 57(3)

of the Act requiring the appointment of only the senior-most of

lecturers as Principal is violative of Article 30(1) of the

Constitution.

11. On the other hand, the respondents contend that

minorities do not have an unfettered right under Article 30(1) to

administer and manage its education institutions; that the State

and its agencies can regulate certain facets of administration of

private educational institutions by minorities, in particular by

prescribing the minimum qualification, experience and other

conditions bearing on merit for being appointed as a teacher or

Principal; that if such institution is aided by the State, the State

can make regulations governing the service conditions for

teaching and other staff, which includes the post of Principal;

and that Section 57(3) of the Act providing for the manner of

filling the post of Principal by promotion, is therefore binding

upon minority institutions receiving aid from the State.

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12. The rival contentions give rise to the following questions:

(i) To what extent, the State can regulate the right of

the minorities to administer their educational

institutions, when such institutions receive aid

from the State.

(ii) Whether the right to choose a Principal is part of

the right of minorities under Article 30(1) to

establish and administer educational institutions of

their choice. If so, Section 57(3) of the Act would

violate Article 30(1) of the Constitution of India.

Re : Question (i)

13. Article 30(1) gives minorities the right to establish and

administer educational institutions of their choice. In State of

Kerala v. Very Rev. Mother Provincial [1970 (2) SCC 417], a

Constitution Bench of this Court explained 'right to administer'

thus :

"Administration means 'management of the affairs' of the

institution. This management must be free of control so that

the founders or their nominees can mould the institution as

they think fit, and in accordance with their ideas of how the

interests of the community in general and the institution in

particular will be best served. No part of this management

can be taken away and vested in another body without an

encroachment upon the guaranteed right."

"There is, however, an exception to this and it is that the

standards of education are not a part of management as

such. These standards concern the body politic and are

dictated by considerations of the advancement of the

country and its people. Therefore, if universities establish

the syllabi for examinations they must be followed, subject

however to special subjects which the institutions may seek

to reach, and to a certain extent the State may also

regulate the conditions of employment of teachers and the

health and hygiene of students. Such regulations do not

bear directly upon management as such although they may

indirectly affect it. Yet the right of the State to regulate

education, educational standards and allied matters

cannot be denied. The minority institutions cannot be

allowed to fall below the standards of excellence expected

of educational institutions, or under the guise of exclusive

right of management, to decline to follow the general

pattern. While the management must be left to them, they

may be compelled to keep in step with others."

(Emphasis supplied)

14. In The Ahmedabad St. Xavier's College Society v. State

of Gujarat [1974 (1) SCC 717 ], a nine Judge Bench of this

Court considered the scope and ambit of minority's right to

administer educational institutions established by them. The

majority were of the view that prescription of conditions of

service would attract better and competent teachers and would

not jeopardize the right of the management of minority

institutions to appoint teachers of their choice. It was also

observed :

"Autonomy in administration means right to administer

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effectively and to manage and conduct the affairs of the

institutions. The distinction is between a restriction on the

right of administration and a regulation prescribing the

manner of administration. The right of administration is

day to day administration. The choice in the personnel of

management is a part of the administration. The university

will always have a right to see that there is no mal-

administration. If there is mal-administration, the university

will take steps to cure the same. There may be control and

check on administration in order to find out whether the

minority institutions are engaged in activities which are not

conducive to the interest of the minority or to the

requirements of the teachers and the students."

"The ultimate goal of a minority institution too imparting

general secular education is advancement of learning. This

Court has consistently held that it is not only permissible

but also desirable to regulate everything in educational and

academic matters for achieving excellence and uniformity

in standards of education.

In the field of administration it is not reasonable to claim

that minority institutions will have complete autonomy.

Checks on the administration may be necessary in order to

ensure that the administration is efficient and sound and

will serve the academic needs of the institution. The right

of a minority to administer its educational institution

involves, as part of it, a correlative duty of good

administration."

15. In FRANK ANTHONY Public School Employees'

Association v Union of India [1986 (4) SCC 707], this Court

observed :

"The excellence of the instruction provided by an

institution would depend directly on the excellence of the

teaching staff, and in turn, that would depend on the quality

and the contentment of the teachers. Conditions of service

pertaining to minimum qualifications of teachers, their

salaries, allowances and other conditions of service which

ensure security, contentment and decent living standards to

teachers and which will consequently enable them to render

better service to the institution and the pupils cannot surely

be said to be violative of the fundamental right guaranteed

by Article 30(1) of the Constitution. The management of a

minority Educational Institution cannot be permitted under

the guise of the fundamental right guaranteed by Article

30(1) of the Constitution, to oppress or exploit its

employees any more than any other private employee.

Oppression or exploitation of the teaching staff of an

educational institution is bound to lead, inevitably, to

discontent and deterioration of the standard of instruction

imparted in the institution affecting adversely the object of

making the institution an effective vehicle of education for

the minority community or other persons who resort to it.

The management of minority institution cannot complain of

invasion of the fundamental right to administer the

institution when it denies the members of its staff the

opportunity to achieve the very object of Article 30(1)

which is to make the institution an effective vehicle of

education."

16. The scope of Article 30(1), with reference to the scope of

the right to administer educational institutions, was also

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considered by this court in In re. Kerala Education Bill,

1957 ( AIR 1958 SC 956), Rev.Sidhajbhai v. State of Bombay

[1963 (3) SCR 837], D.A.V. College v. State of Punjab [1971

(2) SCC 269], All Saints High School v. Government of A.P.

[1980 (2) SCC 478], St. Stephen's College v. University of

Delhi [1992 (1) SCC 558], N. Ammad v. Manager, Emjay

High School [1998 (6) SCC 674], Board of Secondary

Education & Teaching Training v. Joint Director of Public

Instructions, Sagar [1998 (8) SCC 555].

17. In TMA Pai (supra), this Court made it clear that a

minority institution does not cease to be so, merely on receipt

of aid from the State or its agencies. In other words, receipt of

aid does not alter the nature or character of the minority

educational institution receiving aid. Article 30(1) clearly

implies that any grant that is given by the State to the minority

institution cannot have such conditions attached to it which will

in any way dilute or abridge the rights of the minorities to

establish and administer educational institutions. But all

conditions that have relevance to the proper utilization of the

aid by an educational institution can be imposed. The High

Court, however, wrongly construed TMA Pai and concluded

that acceptance of aid by a minority institution takes away its

right to claim immunity from interference and therefore the

State can lay down any regulation governing the conditions of

service of employees of aided minority institutions ignoring the

constitutional guarantee under Article 30(1). For this purpose,

the High Court relied on the observations in Paras 72 and 73 of

TMA Pai (supra). The said paragraphs are extracted below :

"72. Once aid is granted to a private professional

educational institution, the Government or the State

agency, as a condition of the grant of aid, can put fetters on

the freedom in the matter of administration and

management of the institution. The State, which gives aid

to an educational institution, can impose such conditions as

are necessary for the proper maintenance of the high

standards of education as the financial burden is shared by

the State. The State would also be under an obligation to

protect the interest of the teaching and non-teaching staff.

In many States, there are various statutory provisions to

regulate the functioning of such educational institutions

where the States give, as a grant or aid, a substantial

proportion of the revenue expenditure including salary, pay

and allowances of teaching and non-teaching staff. It would

be its responsibility to ensure that the teachers working in

those institutions are governed by proper service

conditions. The State, in the case of such aided institutions,

has ample power to regulate the method of selection and

appointment of teachers after prescribing requisite

qualifications for the same. Ever since In Re, Kerala

Education Bill, 1957 [AIR 1958 SC 956] this Court has

upheld, in the case of aided institutions, those regulations

that served the interests of students and teachers. Checks on

the administration may be necessary in order to ensure that

the administration is efficient and sound and will serve the

academic needs of the institutions. In other words, rules

and regulations that promote good administration and

prevent maladministration can be formulated so as to

promote the efficiency of teachers, discipline and fairness

in administration and to preserve harmony among affiliated

institutions."

73. There are a large number of educational institutions,

like schools and non-professional colleges, which cannot

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operate without the support of aid from the State, Although

these institutions may have been established by

philanthropists or other public-spirited persons, it becomes

necessary, in order to provide inexpensive education to the

students, to seek aid from the State. In such cases, as those

of the professional aided institutions referred to

hereinabove, the Government would be entitled to make

regulations relating to the terms and conditions of

employment of the teaching and non-teaching staff

whenever the aid for the posts is given by the State as well

as admission procedures. Such rules and regulations can

also provide for the reasons and the manner in which a

teacher or any other member of the staff can be removed. In

other words, the autonomy of a private aided institution

would be less than that of an unaided institution."

But the aforesaid observations in Paras 72 and 73 were not

made with reference to aided minority educational institutions.

The observations in para 72 were intended for aided non-

minority private professional institutions. The observation in

para 73 in the context of aided non-minority non-professional

private institutions. The position of minority educational

institutions securing aid from the State or its agencies was

considered in Para 80 to 155, wherein it was clearly held that

receipt of State-aid does not annihilate the right guaranteed to

minorities to establish and administer educational institutions

of their choice under Article 30(1).

18. The observations of the Eleven-Judge Bench in TMA Pai

(supra) in respect of the extent to which the right of

administration of aided minority educational institutions could

be regulated, are extracted below :

"\005\005 the state cannot, when it chooses to grant aid to

educational institutions, deny aid to a religious or linguistic

minority institution only on the ground that the

management of that institution is with the minority. We

would, however, like to clarify that if an abject surrender of

the right to management is made a condition of aid, the

denial of aid would be violative of Article 30(2). However,

conditions of aid that do not involve a surrender of the

substantial right of management would not be

inconsistent with constitutional guarantees, even if they

indirectly impinge upon some facet of administration.

It cannot be argued that no conditions can be imposed

while giving aid to a minority institution. Whether it is an

institution run by the majority or the minority, all

conditions that have relevance to the proper utilization of

the grant-in-aid by an educational institution can be

imposed. \005. The conditions for grant or non-grant of aid to

educational institutions have to be uniformly applied,

whether it is a majority-run institution or a minority-run

institution. As in the case of a majority run institution, the

moment a minority institution obtains a grant of aid, Article

28 of the Constitution comes into play. When an

educational institution is maintained out of State funds, no

religious instruction can be provided therein."

(Emphasis supplied)

Among the questions formulated and answered by the majority

while summarising conclusions, Question 5(c) and answer

thereto has a bearing on the issue on hand : Question 5 ( c ) is

extracted below :

"Whether the statutory provisions which regulate the facets

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of administration like control over educational agencies,

control over governing bodies, conditions of affiliation

including recognition/withdrawal thereof, and appointment

of staff, employees, teachers and principals including their

service conditions and regulation of fees, etc. would

interfere with the right of administration of minorities ?

The first part of the answer to Question 5 ( c ) related to

unaided minority institutions. With reference to statutory

provisions regulating the facets of administration, this court

expressed the view that in case of an unaided minority

educational institutions, the regulatory measure of control

should be minimal; and in the matter of day-to-day

management, like the appointment of staff (both teaching and

non-teaching) and administrative control over them, the

management should have the freedom and there should not be

any external controlling agency. But such institutions should

have to comply with the conditions of recognition and

conditions of affiliation to a University or Board; and a rational

procedure for the selection of teaching staff and for taking

disciplinary action has to be evolved by the management itself.

This Court also held that fees to be charged by unaided

institutions cannot be regulated but no institution should charge

capitation fee.

The second part of the answer to Question 5( c ) applicable to

aided minority institutions, is extracted below :-

"For redressing the grievances of employees of aided and

unaided institutions who are subjected to punishment or

termination from service, a mechanism will have to be

evolved, and in our opinion, appropriate tribunals could be

constituted, and till then, such tribunals could be presided

over by a judicial officer of the rank of District Judge.

The State or other controlling authorities, however, can

always prescribe the minimum qualification, experience

and other conditions bearing on the merit of an individual

for being appointed as a teacher or a principal of any

educational institution.

Regulations can be framed governing service conditions for

teaching and other staff for whom aid is provided by the

State, without interfering with the overall administrative

control of the management over the staff."

(Emphasis supplied)

The position enunciated in TMA Pai is reiterated in P.A.

Inamdar vs. State of Maharashtra [2005 (6) SCC 537].

19. The general principles relating to establishment and

administration of educational institution by minorities may be

summarized thus:

(i) The right of minorities to establish and administer

educational institutions of their choice comprises the

following rights :

a) To choose its governing body in whom the founders

of the institution have faith and confidence to

conduct and manage the affairs of the institution;

b) To appoint teaching staff (Teachers/Lecturers and

Head-masters/Principals) as also non-teaching staff;

and to take action if there is dereliction of duty on the

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part of any of its employees;

c) To admit eligible students of their choice and to set

up a reasonable fee structure;

d) To use its properties and assets for the benefit of the

institution;

(ii) The right conferred on minorities under Article 30 is only

to ensure equality with the majority and not intended to

place the minorities in a more advantageous position vis-

`-vis the majority. There is no reverse discrimination in

favour of minorities. The general laws of the land

relating to national interest, national security, social

welfare, public order, morality, health, sanitation,

taxation etc. applicable to all, will equally apply to

minority institutions also.

(iii) The right to establish and administer educational

institutions is not absolute. Nor does it include the right

to maladminister. There can be regulatory measures for

ensuring educational character and standards and

maintaining academic excellence. There can be checks

on administration as are necessary to ensure that the

administration is efficient and sound, so as to serve the

academic needs of the institution. Regulations made by

the State concerning generally the welfare of students

and teachers, regulations laying down eligibility criteria

and qualifications for appointment, as also conditions of

service of employees (both teaching and non-teaching),

regulations to prevent exploitation or oppression of

employees, and regulations prescribing syllabus and

curriculum of study fall under this category. Such

regulations do not in any manner interfere with the right

under Article 30(1).

(iv) Subject to the eligibility conditions/qualifications

prescribed by the State being met, the unaided minority

educational institutions will have the freedom to appoint

teachers/Lecturers by adopting any rational procedure of

selection.

(v) Extention of aid by the State, does not alter the nature

and character of the minority educational institution.

Conditions can be imposed by the State to ensure

proper utilization of the aid, without however diluting

or abridging the right under Article 30(1).

20. Aided institutions give instruction either in secular

education or professional education. Religious education is

barred in educational institutions maintained out of State fund.

These aided educational minority institutions providing secular

education or professional education should necessarily have

standards comparable with non-minority educational

institutions. Such standards can be attained and maintained only

by having well qualified professional teachers. An institution

can have the services of good qualified professional teachers

only if the condition of service ensures security, contentment

and decent living standards. That is why State can regulate the

service conditions of the employees of the minority educational

institutions to ensure quality of education. Consequently, any

law intended to regulate the service conditions of employees of

educational institutions will apply to minority institutions also,

provided that such law does not interfere with the overall

administrative control of the managements over the staff.

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21. We may also recapitulate the extent of regulation by the

State, permissible in respect of employees of minority

educational institutions receiving aid from the State, as clarified

and crystalised in TMA Pai. The State can prescribe :

(i) the minimum qualifications, experience and other

criteria bearing on merit, for making appointments,

(ii) the service conditions of employees without

interfering with the overall administrative control by

the Management over the staff.

(iii) a mechanism for redressal of the grievances of the

employees.

(iv) the conditions for the proper utilisation of the

aid by the educational institutions, without abridging

or diluting the right to establish and administer

educational institutions.

In other words, all laws made by the State to regulate the

administration of educational institutions, and grant of aid, will

apply to minority educational institutions also. But if any such

regulations interfere with the overall administrative control by

the Management over the staff, or abridges/dilutes, in any other

manner, the right to establish and administer educational

institutions, such regulations, to that extent, will be inapplicable

to minority institutions.

Re: Question (ii) :

22. The Principal or Headmaster of an educational

institution is responsible for the functional efficiency of the

institution, as also the quality of education and discipline in the

institution. He is also responsible for maintaining the

philosophy and objects of the institution.

23. In State of Kerala vs. Very Rev. Mother Provincial [1970

(2) SCC 417], this Court upheld the decisions of the Kerala

High Court declaring sub-sections (1) (2) (3) of section 53 of

the Kerala University Act, 1969 relating to appointment of

Principals were ultra vires Article 30(1) in respect of minority

institutions. This Court affirmed the following findings of the

High Court (reported in 1969 Kerala Law Times 749) without

independently considering the same :-

"The principal of a college is, as S.2(12) recognizes, the

head of the college, and, the post of the principal is of

pivotal importance in the life of a college; around him

wheels the tone and temper of the institution; on him

depends the continuity of its traditions, the maintenance of

discipline and the efficiency of its teaching; and the right to

choose the principal is perhaps the most important facet of

the right to administer a college. The imposition of any

trammel thereon \026 except to the extent of prescribing the

requisite qualifications and experience or otherwise

fostering the interests of the institution itself \026 cannot but

be considered as a violation of the right guaranteed by

article 30(1) of the Constitution, and, for the reasons we

have already given, by article 19(1)(f) as well. To hold

otherwise would be to make the rights "a teasing illusion, a

promise of unreality". Provision may, of course, be made to

ensure that only proper persons are appointed to the post of

principal; the qualifications necessary may be prescribed,

and the mode of selection for the purpose of securing the

best men may be laid down. But to go beyond that and

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place any further fetter on the choice would be an

unreasonable interference with the right of management.

Therefore, so far as the post of principal is concerned, we

think it should be left to the management to secure the

services of the best person available. This, it seems to us,

is of paramount importance, and the prospects of

advancement of the staff must yield to it. The management

must have as wide a field of choice as possible; yet sub-

section (2) of Section 53 restricts the choice to the teachers

of the colleges or of all the colleges, as the case may be,

and enables the appointment of an outsider only if there is

no suitable person in such college or colleges. That might

well have the result of condemning the post to a level of

dull mediocrity. A provision by which an outsider is to be

appointed, or a junior member of the staff preferred to a

senior member, only if he is of superior merit, the

assessment of which must largely be left to the

management, is understandable; but a provision which

compels the management to appoint only a teacher of the

college (or colleges) unless it pronounces all the teachers

unsuitable, is clearly in derogation of the powers of the

management, and not calculated to further the interest of

the institution\005\005\005.. But we might say that there can be

no objection to the appointment of the principal as of any

other member of the staff being subject to the approval of

some authority of the University so long as disapproval can

be only on the ground that the person appointed has not the

requisite qualifications. Also that if disapproval is not to be

only on some such stated ground, but is left entirely to the

will and pleasure of the appointing authority, that would be

to deprive the educational agency of its power of

appointment and would be bad for offending article

19(1)(f) and article 30(1)."

(Emphasis supplied)

24. The importance of the right to appointment of

Principals/Head-masters and teachers of their choice by

minorities, as an important part of their fundamental rights

under Article 30 was highlighted in St. Xavier (supra) thus :

"It is upon the principal and teachers of a college that the

tone and temper of an educational institution depend. On

them would depend its reputation, the maintenance of

discipline and its efficiency in teaching. The right to

choose the principal and to have the teaching conducted

by teachers appointed by the management after an overall

assessment of their outlook and philosophy is perhaps the

most important facet of the right to administer an

educational institution\005\005. So long as the persons chosen

have the qualifications prescribed by the University, the

choice must be left to the management. That is part of the

fundamental right of the minorities to administer the

educational institution established by them."

[Emphasis supplied]

25. In N.Ammad (supra) the appellant contended that he

being the senior-most graduate teacher of an aided minority

school, he should be appointed as the Headmaster and none

else. He relied on Rule 44A of the Kerala Education Rules

which provided that appointment of Headmaster shall ordinarily

be according to seniority, from the seniority list prepared and

maintained under clauses (a) and (b) of Rule 34. This Court

held:

"Selection and appointment of Headmaster in a school (or

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Principal of a college) are of prime importance in

administration of that educational institution. The

Headmaster is the key post in the running of the school. He

is the hub on which all the spokes of the school are set

around whom they rotate to generate result. A school is

personified through its Headmaster and he is the focal point

on which outsiders look at the school. A bad Headmaster

can spoil the entire institution, an efficient and honest

Headmaster can improve it by leaps and bounds. The

functional efficacy of a school very much depends upon the

efficiency and dedication of its Headmaster. This pristine

precept remains unchanged despite many changes taking

place in the structural patterns of education over the years.

How important is the post of Headmaster of a school has

been pithily stated by a Full Bench of the Kerala High

Court in Aldo Maria Patroni v. E.C. Kesavan (AIR 1965

Ker 75). Chief Justice M.S. Menon has, in a style which is

inimitable, stated thus :

"The post of the headmaster is of pivotal importance in the

life of a school. Around him wheels the tone and temper of

the institution; on him depends the continuity of its

traditions, the maintenance of discipline and the efficiency

of its teaching. The right to choose the headmaster is

perhaps the most important facet of the right to administer a

school, and we must hold that the imposition of any

trammel thereon \026 except to the extent of prescribing the

requisite qualifications and experience \026 cannot but be

considered as a violation of the right guaranteed by Article

30(1) of the Constitution. To hold otherwise will be to

make the right 'a teasing illusion, a promise of unreality'."

Thereafter, this Court concluded that the management of

minority institution is free to find out a qualified person either

from the staff of the same institution or from outside, to fill up

the vacancy; and that the management's right to choose a

qualified person as the Headmaster of the school is well

insulated by the protective cover of Article 30(1) of the

Constitution and it cannot be chiselled out through any

legislative act or executive rule except for fixing up the

qualifications and conditions of service for the post; and that

any such statutory or executive feat would be violative of the

fundamental right enshrined in Article 30(1) and would

therefore be void. This Court further observed that if the

management of the school is not given the wide freedom to

choose the person for holding the key-post of Principal subject,

of course, to the restriction regarding qualifications to be

prescribed by the State, the right to administer the School

would get much diminished.

26. In Board of Secondary Education and Teachers Training

(supra), this Court held :

"The decisions of this Court make it clear that in the matter

of appointment of the Principal, the management of a

minority educational institution has a choice. It has been

held that one of the incidents of the right to administer a

minority educational institution is the selection of the

Principal. Any rules which takes away this right of the

management have been held to be interfering with the

right guaranteed by Article 30 of the Constitution. In this

case, both Julius Prasad selected by the management and

the third respondent are qualified and eligible for

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appointment as Principal according to rules. The question

is whether the management is not entitled to select a person

of their choice. The decisions of this court including the

decision in State of Kerala v. Very Rev. Mother Provincial

[1970 (2) SCC 417] and Ahmedabad St. Xavier's College

Society v. State of Gujarat make it clear that this right of

the minority educational institution cannot be taken away

by any rules or regulations or by any enactment made by

the State. We are, therefore, of the opinion that the High

Court was not right in holding otherwise. The State has

undoubtedly the power to regulate the affairs of the

minority educational institutions also in the interest of

discipline and excellence. But in that process, the

aforesaid right of the management cannot be taken away,

even if the Government is giving hundred per cent grant."

(Emphasis supplied)

27. It is thus clear that the freedom to choose the person to be

appointed as Principal has always been recognized as a vital

facet of the right to administer the educational institution. This

has not been, in any way, diluted or altered by TMA Pai.

Having regard to the key role played by the Principal in the

management and administration of the educational institution,

there can be no doubt that the right to choose the Principal is an

important part of the right of administration and even if the

institution is aided, there can be no interference with the said

right. The fact that the post of the Principal/Headmaster is also

covered by State aid, will make no difference.

28. The appellant contends that the protection extended by

Article 30(1) cannot be used against a member of the teaching

staff who belongs to the same minority community. It is

contended that a minority institution cannot ignore the rights of

eligible lecturers belonging to the same community, senior to

the person proposed to be selected, merely because the

institution has the right to select a Principal of its choice. But

this contention ignores the position that the right of the minority

to select a Principal of its choice is with reference to the

assessment of the person's outlook and philosophy and ability

to implement its objects. The management is entitled to appoint

the person, who according to them is most suited, to head the

institution, provided he possesses the qualifications prescribed

for the posts. The career advancement prospects of the teaching

staff, even those belonging to the same community, should have

to yield to the right of the management under Article 30(1) to

establish and administer educational institutions.

29. Section 57(3) of the Act provides that the post of

Principal when filled by promotion is to be made on the basis of

seniority-cum-fitness. Section 57(3) trammels the right of the

management to take note of merit of the candidate, or the

outlook and philosophy of the candidate which will determine

whether he is supportive of the objects of the institution. Such

a provision clearly interferes with the right of the minority

management to have a person of their choice as head of the

institution and thus violates Article 30(1). Section 57(3) of the

Act cannot therefore apply to minority run educational

institutions even if they are aided.

30. In view of the above, we allow these appeals and,

consequently, set aside the judgment dated 5.6.2003 of the High

Court. As a consequence, O.P.Nos.10111/2000, 10721/2001

and 14337/2000 stand dismissed. O.P.No.3015, 3742 and

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6621/2003 filed by the College Managements/Selected

Principals are allowed.